Stephanie Liu
Medium: Painting Studio Location: 460 East 79th Street, Suite 8G, New York, NY 10075 - Studio# none Phone: 917-6740084 Email: hkhappydiver@gmail.com Website:: www.LICArtists.org Artist Bio: Stephanie Liu's resume as an oil painter 1956 Born in Hong Kong 1969-72 3 years of western art lessons in an art studio in North Point, Hong Kong 1973-74 Modern Chinese ink painting training under muralist Wing-On Lee, Hong Kong 1975-79 B. A. Degree from Skidmore College with a full scholarship. 3-8-1976 Experienced sexual abuse at the hands of my painting teacher in an art studio on campus, and filed an immediate complaint to the college administration and the police. Due to the trauma from this incident, I was unable to pursue art at all. Added to this was the frustration that Skidmore did not discipline the perpetrator after a lengthy investigation process. 1976-79 Involved in an anti-rape and sexual abuse campaign on campus and other feminist activities off campus. Returned to Hong Kong after graduation in July, 979. 1979- 91 11 years of feminist activism in Hong Kong, including being involved in the War on Rape Committee of the Hong Kong Council of Women, setting up the first women center in Hong Kong, campaigned for the decriminalization of homosexuality, started the Association for the Advancement of Feminism in Hong Kong in 1994, and built a coalition of over 20 organizations in repealing the legislation that discriminated against indigenous female residents of the New Territories in Hong Kong through lobbying and protest effort. Both campaigns were successful in bringing legislative reforms. 1-1991 Emigrated back to New York, and became self-employed as a Chinese court interpreter. 2003 After a 27 years' break, resumed oil painting by joining the 2003 NY City Court Employees Arts and Craft Show and Competition. 2004 First prize, Painting section, 2004 NY City Court Employees Art Show. Judge: Barbara Head Millstein, Curator, Brooklyn Museum. 2005 Exhibited in the NY City Court Employees Arts Show 2006 Third prize, Painting section, NY City Court Employees Arts Show 2007 Third prize, Painting section, NY City Court Employees Arts Show 2008 Exhibited in the NY City Court Employees Arts Show 4-2009 Joined Long Island City Artists (LICA), and exhibited in its curated show in Long Island City, Queens. 4-2010 Exhibited in the annual curated LICA show in Long Island City. 2-2011 Exhibited in the curated show of LICA at Atlantic Gallery, Chelsea, NY 2-2015 Exhibited in the curated show of LICA at Atlantic Gallery, Chelsea, NY 4-2015 Exhibited in the annual curated LICA show in Long Island City. 2-2016 Exhibited in the curated show of LICA at Atlantic Gallery, Chelsea, NY 4-2016 Exhibited in the annual curated show of LICA in Falchi Building, Long Island City. 5-2016 Exhibited for 6 weeks in a curated show of National League of American Pen Women in Woods Library of NY Presbyterian Hospital 2-2017 Exhibited in the curated LICA show in Atlantic Gallery, Chelsea, NY 10-2017 Exhibited in the group show with National League of American Pen Women and Bay Area Friends of the Fine Arts, Inc. in Baffa Art Gallery in Sayville, Long Island. Artist Statement: Stephanie Liu's Artist Statement Art is my process to transform my experiences in life into creativity- from pain into positive energy, from stress into the magic of color and form, from negativity into infinite possibilities of imagination. At age 13, I began taking art lessons in Hong Kong and was greatly influenced by Impressionism and modern Chinese art which is a blend of abstract western and Chinese elements. My journey to pursue art was interrupted at age 19 when I was almost raped by a painting professor in college in upstate New York. This incident motivated me to organize anti-rape and violence against women projects, to set up the first women's center in Hong Kong and to be a feminist for decades. I returned to New York as an immigrant in 1991, and resumed painting in 2003 by entering the New York State Court Employees Arts and Crafts Show. Winning the first prize in the painting category in the 2004 show and two other prizes encouraged me to paint and form a women artists' support group to empower women to pursue art and share our unique experiences and insights in a supportive community. Art is my visual memoir of my bi-cultural life in these two worlds, with every painting representing a stage in my life, reflecting my inner self in an abstract form. I am particularly inspired by movements of water, dynamic energy of various dance forms, and how they are affected by light and colors. Art is my expression of eternal beauty beyond our human existence. All images and text copyright Stephanie Liu