Warrior Silk

Author Wayson Choy has described himself as a “banana.” This refers to an Asian (yellow on the outside) who feels he is more Canadian (white on the inside) than his culture of origin. He may not speak or write Chinese well (if at all), or engage in many customs. Choy’s books though, contain some of the most moving stories of the Chinese experience, in particular, the details of lives re-located to the West. His heritage influence is very much alive; it just happens to emerge in his writing.

My spoken Chinese is dreadful. I have references. My mother assures me I have the verbal skills of a five year old. At art school, while Eastern art was often acknowledged and included as examples in the curriculum, it held no real significance or interest for me. Formal training was predominantly European based on the classical tradition. As a mediocre new student, my time was spent learning and developing new skills, using unfamiliar tools and equipment, and completing assignments. I did discover that a certain degree of skill and proficiency could be achieved through hard work and practice alone. Years later, I’d realize that there are levels even beyond that if one is to grow as an artist. But as a struggling student, one decent result after months of steady application felt like the first confirmation of a chosen field. During our final year, my favourite instructor asked me what I thought about my progress. I made generic comments about how I enjoyed the assignments and was grateful for learning so much . Then, before I could shut my mouth, I declared that all this made me feel more Asian lately. I had no idea where that came from. I wasn’t doing anything remarkably “Asian” in my work at all then. My instructor’s only response– bless her, was: “I’m very pleased to hear that.” Later in my painting career, Asian motifs and sensibilities did eventually appear in some projects, as naturally as any other element that engaged my interest. Sometimes I even had an urge to consciously include them. Any cultural, ethnic background or tradition serves as a potential resource for artists to draw upon in their work. It is not however, mandatory that an artist address their heritage in order to produce good art. Subject matter, even when authentic, seldom guarantees success or a resolution of dilemmas and concerns we have as creative practitioners. There is also, no need to remain with any image or theme excavated from our personal history– longer than we feel compelled to do so. But the commitment required to sustain an art practice over time, contains enough foundation and structure to allow all of who we are to emerge. Artists who address issues of cultural heritage in their work, grant themselves opportunities to explore and process that legacy in depth. If there has been conflict or ambivalence towards it in the past, art is often one of the safest places to do so, especially if an artist has roots from one country, yet lives in another that has a greater tolerance for self-expression.

Last year, my sister and I viewed the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit at the ROM. We each selected a favourite army figure that captivated us among others. Anita was drawn to the “Unarmored General.” I think he reflects her own qualities of strength, authority and fierce intelligence. I was more attracted to the “Kneeling Archer”– a smaller, less commanding statue, but one that exemplified a specific, categorical skill. Months later, I received for my birthday, an exquisite white silk scarf patterned with black calligraphy. I
call it my “Warrior Silk” in honour of the event where it was sold, and marvel at how my sister managed this stealth purchase when we were both in the ROM Gift Shop. The scarf also symbolizes for me, the integration of diverse qualities. That’s what artists do: we have the capacity to draw on and synthesize elements from all kinds of different sources, depending on what is appropriate for the work. When those resources come from the interior, we have more to offer when we acknowledge and accept as much as possible, all that went into the making of ourselves. There has only been one other area where heritage details appeared unexpectedly, without provocation. That was during meditation in classes that involved teachings on the Sacred Feminine. When Asian influence presents itself unforseen, it’s a worthwhile confirmation of the process or endeavor that managed to draw it out.