A couple months ago, I began working with sumi-e ink using a bamboo brush. One of my favorite subjects was exploring the theme of facades. A façade is ‘the face of a building, especially the principal front that looks onto a street or open space’ but it could also mean ‘an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.’

I’m intrigued by the notion of what we choose to show of ourselves through our faces and facades. This art exploration was mostly about faces – painting faces of models from fashion magazines. What lies behind their predictable expressions? What do they really think and feel? A next step would be to explore more facades. Stay tuned…