[Applause] okay well hello everyone my name is Jane
okay well hello everyone my name is Jane
okay well hello everyone my name is Jane C as I was introduced and I am an artist
C as I was introduced and I am an artist
C as I was introduced and I am an artist and growing up I’ve always loved to draw
and growing up I’ve always loved to draw
and growing up I’ve always loved to draw faces I draw faces all day every day and
faces I draw faces all day every day and
faces I draw faces all day every day and but while I was trying spaces I was so
but while I was trying spaces I was so
but while I was trying spaces I was so immersed in drawing a perfect face that
immersed in drawing a perfect face that
immersed in drawing a perfect face that I never questioned what factors
I never questioned what factors
I never questioned what factors determined to me what a perfect face was
determined to me what a perfect face was
determined to me what a perfect face was and then about two summers ago maybe
and then about two summers ago maybe
and then about two summers ago maybe three i was a freshman long time ago i
three i was a freshman long time ago i
three i was a freshman long time ago i was studying abroad in oxford and was
was studying abroad in oxford and was
was studying abroad in oxford and was deciding to take a weekend trip to
deciding to take a weekend trip to
deciding to take a weekend trip to london and while i was on the bus the
london and while i was on the bus the
london and while i was on the bus the lady sitting next to me is actually an
lady sitting next to me is actually an
lady sitting next to me is actually an art professor in the vicinity and we
art professor in the vicinity and we
art professor in the vicinity and we talk about art conversations seem to be
talk about art conversations seem to be
talk about art conversations seem to be going well and then I show her some of
going well and then I show her some of
going well and then I show her some of my work and the faces and she stares and
my work and the faces and she stares and
my work and the faces and she stares and she looks at me and says why do all your
she looks at me and says why do all your
she looks at me and says why do all your faces look the same you know why are
faces look the same you know why are
faces look the same you know why are they all love you know white women who
they all love you know white women who
they all love you know white women who look like they’re beautiful models and I
look like they’re beautiful models and I
look like they’re beautiful models and I really didn’t know how to answer that
really didn’t know how to answer that
really didn’t know how to answer that question and so it’s just an awkward
question and so it’s just an awkward
question and so it’s just an awkward long ride the rest of the way to London
long ride the rest of the way to London
long ride the rest of the way to London and then you know I came back to the US
and then you know I came back to the US
and then you know I came back to the US came back to resume my studies and sort
came back to resume my studies and sort
came back to resume my studies and sort of put that question in the back of my
of put that question in the back of my
of put that question in the back of my mind until I took a race aesthetics and
mind until I took a race aesthetics and
mind until I took a race aesthetics and analytical class and my professor asked
analytical class and my professor asked
analytical class and my professor asked me the exact same question and this time
me the exact same question and this time
me the exact same question and this time the scientist in me emerged and tried to
the scientist in me emerged and tried to
the scientist in me emerged and tried to find the source of my bias e toward this
find the source of my bias e toward this
find the source of my bias e toward this one type of beauty and how I could
one type of beauty and how I could
one type of beauty and how I could change that so going back growing up
change that so going back growing up
change that so going back growing up I’ve always loved magazines i collected
I’ve always loved magazines i collected
I’ve always loved magazines i collected Bob since the two thousand millennial
Bob since the two thousand millennial
Bob since the two thousand millennial issue every time I go to a different
issue every time I go to a different
issue every time I go to a different country i buy so many magazines that it
country i buy so many magazines that it
country i buy so many magazines that it almost exceeds the 50-pound luggage
almost exceeds the 50-pound luggage
almost exceeds the 50-pound luggage limit and you know you look at all these
limit and you know you look at all these
limit and you know you look at all these covers they’re all beautiful women but
covers they’re all beautiful women but
covers they’re all beautiful women but they all share that same type of look
they all share that same type of look
they all share that same type of look and features and even The Huffington
and features and even The Huffington
and features and even The Huffington Post reports that in 2015 80.2 percent
Post reports that in 2015 80.2 percent
Post reports that in 2015 80.2 percent of models cast for the cover were of
of models cast for the cover were of
of models cast for the cover were of white and then I go back to my education
white and then I go back to my education
white and then I go back to my education as an artist and growing up from
as an artist and growing up from
as an artist and growing up from elementary school middle school and
elementary school middle school and
elementary school middle school and onwards there was this emphasis on
onwards there was this emphasis on
onwards there was this emphasis on Western art
Western art
Western art and in these beautiful paintings by da
and in these beautiful paintings by da
and in these beautiful paintings by da Vinci Renoir Vermeer there’s always this
Vinci Renoir Vermeer there’s always this
Vinci Renoir Vermeer there’s always this emphasis on white beauty as the ideal
emphasis on white beauty as the ideal
emphasis on white beauty as the ideal subject to portray in the art world and
subject to portray in the art world and
subject to portray in the art world and lastly even in my own Asian community
lastly even in my own Asian community
lastly even in my own Asian community every time I visit my grandma she always
every time I visit my grandma she always
every time I visit my grandma she always had these whitening skin kits for me
had these whitening skin kits for me
had these whitening skin kits for me saying that Oh Jane you just put this on
saying that Oh Jane you just put this on
saying that Oh Jane you just put this on every day and night and in two months
every day and night and in two months
every day and night and in two months you’ll be as beautiful as a pale
you’ll be as beautiful as a pale
you’ll be as beautiful as a pale supermodel and you know I it was a lot
supermodel and you know I it was a lot
supermodel and you know I it was a lot of pressure and it wasn’t only me you
of pressure and it wasn’t only me you
of pressure and it wasn’t only me you know even the New Yorker estimates that
know even the New Yorker estimates that
know even the New Yorker estimates that anywhere from 150 to one-third of women
anywhere from 150 to one-third of women
anywhere from 150 to one-third of women in Asia undergo the knife for cosmetic
in Asia undergo the knife for cosmetic
in Asia undergo the knife for cosmetic reasons to gain more Western features
reasons to gain more Western features
reasons to gain more Western features some examples I know personally are high
some examples I know personally are high
some examples I know personally are high nose bridges double eyelids and you know
nose bridges double eyelids and you know
nose bridges double eyelids and you know skin creams to whiten the skin so just
skin creams to whiten the skin so just
skin creams to whiten the skin so just to look like these Chinese and Asian
to look like these Chinese and Asian
to look like these Chinese and Asian celebrities you see here you know and
celebrities you see here you know and
celebrities you see here you know and all these influences resulted in me and
all these influences resulted in me and
all these influences resulted in me and creating a painting with a face that
creating a painting with a face that
creating a painting with a face that looks like this this is a very good
looks like this this is a very good
looks like this this is a very good example of a lot of the faces i drew
example of a lot of the faces i drew
example of a lot of the faces i drew growing up and although i think all of
growing up and although i think all of
growing up and although i think all of these faces are lovely what is wrong
these faces are lovely what is wrong
these faces are lovely what is wrong with this none of these faces look like
with this none of these faces look like
with this none of these faces look like me the people around me or any of you
me the people around me or any of you
me the people around me or any of you guys in this audience and from this I
guys in this audience and from this I
guys in this audience and from this I realized not only was my work lacking
realized not only was my work lacking
realized not only was my work lacking diversity it was also lacking an
diversity it was also lacking an
diversity it was also lacking an appreciation of the people I see every
appreciation of the people I see every
appreciation of the people I see every day and so going back i made this
day and so going back i made this
day and so going back i made this hypothesis that i looked and thought
hypothesis that i looked and thought
hypothesis that i looked and thought okay what I grew up with shaped the
okay what I grew up with shaped the
okay what I grew up with shaped the artwork I made and the beauty ideals
artwork I made and the beauty ideals
artwork I made and the beauty ideals instilled in me and the way I wanted to
instilled in me and the way I wanted to
instilled in me and the way I wanted to change it was look at the people around
change it was look at the people around
change it was look at the people around me look at photography of other cultures
me look at photography of other cultures
me look at photography of other cultures and races and draw them and practice my
and races and draw them and practice my
and races and draw them and practice my hand at them in order to expand my
hand at them in order to expand my
hand at them in order to expand my aesthetic values to people of all color
aesthetic values to people of all color
aesthetic values to people of all color so this sort of experiment started about
so this sort of experiment started about
so this sort of experiment started about a summer ago I was in Shanghai China a
a summer ago I was in Shanghai China a
a summer ago I was in Shanghai China a little selfie of me in the bustling
little selfie of me in the bustling
little selfie of me in the bustling streets there and next to it I put an
streets there and next to it I put an
streets there and next to it I put an example of my default why ideal face
example of my default why ideal face
example of my default why ideal face just for comparison and I was shadowing
just for comparison and I was shadowing
just for comparison and I was shadowing in a Chinese hospital and the nurse
in a Chinese hospital and the nurse
in a Chinese hospital and the nurse asked me hey Jane can you draw a picture
asked me hey Jane can you draw a picture
asked me hey Jane can you draw a picture of me and I thought no big deal faces
of me and I thought no big deal faces
of me and I thought no big deal faces are my thing I love to draw faces and I
are my thing I love to draw faces and I
are my thing I love to draw faces and I sit down I draw an oval and then from
sit down I draw an oval and then from
sit down I draw an oval and then from that point on things
that point on things
that point on things harder I draw her eyelids incorrectly I
harder I draw her eyelids incorrectly I
harder I draw her eyelids incorrectly I make her nose bridge too high and too
make her nose bridge too high and too
make her nose bridge too high and too Western and I can’t get the pigmentation
Western and I can’t get the pigmentation
Western and I can’t get the pigmentation of her skin correct with the colored
of her skin correct with the colored
of her skin correct with the colored pencils i have and so I realized it’s
pencils i have and so I realized it’s
pencils i have and so I realized it’s hard for me to draw people of color
hard for me to draw people of color
hard for me to draw people of color because my hand is so practiced in
because my hand is so practiced in
because my hand is so practiced in drawing supermodel western faces but you
drawing supermodel western faces but you
drawing supermodel western faces but you know through practice I keep pushing
know through practice I keep pushing
know through practice I keep pushing myself to actively ask people around me
myself to actively ask people around me
myself to actively ask people around me to let me draw them reading more papers
to let me draw them reading more papers
to let me draw them reading more papers on analytical aesthetics as a concerns
on analytical aesthetics as a concerns
on analytical aesthetics as a concerns race and you know over time I’ve been so
race and you know over time I’ve been so
race and you know over time I’ve been so in love with the subject that I’ve been
in love with the subject that I’ve been
in love with the subject that I’ve been given the opportunity to curate a show
given the opportunity to curate a show
given the opportunity to curate a show on this particular subject and at by
on this particular subject and at by
on this particular subject and at by curatorship I mean I challenge artists
curatorship I mean I challenge artists
curatorship I mean I challenge artists in this community out of state or one
in this community out of state or one
in this community out of state or one even out of country to draw people of
even out of country to draw people of
even out of country to draw people of color and to write down the challenges
color and to write down the challenges
color and to write down the challenges associated with it and this March will
associated with it and this March will
associated with it and this March will all put it into a gallery space and
all put it into a gallery space and
all put it into a gallery space and exhibit these awesome works and thoughts
exhibit these awesome works and thoughts
exhibit these awesome works and thoughts that these artists have had about it and
that these artists have had about it and
that these artists have had about it and in my own development as an artist I’ve
in my own development as an artist I’ve
in my own development as an artist I’ve been really happy to see how I’ve
been really happy to see how I’ve
been really happy to see how I’ve learned to appreciate the aesthetic
learned to appreciate the aesthetic
learned to appreciate the aesthetic quality of all kinds of people and a
quality of all kinds of people and a
quality of all kinds of people and a people around me and how my art has just
people around me and how my art has just
people around me and how my art has just become more interesting to me overall
become more interesting to me overall
become more interesting to me overall and I just have so much fun looking at
and I just have so much fun looking at
and I just have so much fun looking at people’s faces and thinking I want to
people’s faces and thinking I want to
people’s faces and thinking I want to draw the space too and so as you can see
draw the space too and so as you can see
draw the space too and so as you can see from all of this what we grow up with
from all of this what we grow up with
from all of this what we grow up with and what forms the basic building blocks
and what forms the basic building blocks
and what forms the basic building blocks of our understanding really shapes the
of our understanding really shapes the
of our understanding really shapes the way we think how we perceive others and
way we think how we perceive others and
way we think how we perceive others and ourselves and you know for me how I
ourselves and you know for me how I
ourselves and you know for me how I create what I do create and how we all
create what I do create and how we all
create what I do create and how we all create you know work and so I think that
create you know work and so I think that
create you know work and so I think that from this it is so important for us to
from this it is so important for us to
from this it is so important for us to go back to these building blocks and to
go back to these building blocks and to
go back to these building blocks and to question them to analyze what is feeding
question them to analyze what is feeding
question them to analyze what is feeding into the way we form our understanding
into the way we form our understanding
into the way we form our understanding of ourselves in the world around us and
of ourselves in the world around us and
of ourselves in the world around us and I think by doing so we can all make a
I think by doing so we can all make a
I think by doing so we can all make a 180 and the way we think and life will
180 and the way we think and life will
180 and the way we think and life will become not only more interesting but
become not only more interesting but
become not only more interesting but more colorful as well thank you
more colorful as well thank you
more colorful as well thank you [Applause]
”
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