ARTIST STATEMENT
Love is one of the primal connections between people, yet it has become a myth for people to aestheticize, imagine, and consume. The artwork is a part of the project “This is A True Love Story” where I attempted to understand romantic love as someone who has not fallen in love. My participation in the aestheticization and imagination of romantic love is based on my experience of platonic and familial love, love that I’ve been taught, consumed, and desired. While I dissected love into points of connection between people, I also created real-life connections, emotionally and physically, as I orchestrated interaction and collaboration. The artwork presents my perspective of the intangible concept of romantic love when I have not fallen in love yet but also displays a tangible connection that was developed through the creation of the work.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Catherine Lyu is a concept-driven artist who works across media, creating work where she reflects and reacts to daily moments in her life. She explores the Chinese diaspora, interpersonal relationships, primitive emotions, and intuitive moments. Recently, she’s been interested in performing actions that build connections and comfort through mundane actions and humor. Catherine received her B.F.A. at Bard College (2023) and is an M.F.A. candidate at the University of Illinois Chicago.
© Catherine Lyu