Mia Yaguchi-Chow - paintings

daruma, the remix, 2020

Objectively, this painting is of a Japanese doll and good luck symbol called the Daruma (逹磨・ダルマ), which is a traditional character in Japanese Buddhism. Daruma's are still made and purchased today as gifts to wish good luck whether it's to oneself or another. When you first receive/obtain your Daruma, both eyes will be white. As you make your wish, you fill in one eye and one eye only; and once the wish comes true, you fill in the remaining eye.

I am an individual of Japanese and Chinese descent and needless to say, there are many similarities in cultural symbols between Japanese and Chinese culture. One being symbols of good luck such as the combination of red and gold, emphasis on animals (both real or mythological) like fish and dragons, etc. I hold my dual identity very dear to myself and this painting is one of many representations of that.

untitled, 2019

Inspired by existentialist perspectives and beliefs, this work can be interpreted as relating to how one may perceive their surroundings, and what they may consider to be their "reality" or reality in general. Many existentialist philosophers believe different things in regards to the concept of reality, but what I believe most is that we are in control of our perceptions of reality in the way that it is up to our perceptions to shape it. There may be constants in our environments that anchor any universal concept of reality, but it can't account for every single variable within each individual.

untitled, 2019

Based on nihilist thoughts and feelings about how the world seems to us once we find a connection to nihilism or even absurdism.

sweet dreams, 2020

2020 Vision (More Than Meets The Eye Remixed), 2020

I've been identifying as an existentialist for a few years now, and have been creating works based on my beliefs for that long as well. In 2018, I created a doodle (that can be found on my About Me page, here) with a concept acknowledging that, even if we were to have 18 eyes on our faces, that doesn't mean we may be able to see the world any better, or any clearer. It also may not mean we will see everything the world has to offer in our lifetime. Absurdism, particularly from Albert Camus, recognizes the limited capacity of the human eye and human consciousness, and how it is impossible for an individual to explore and know everything that is out there in the world. This remixed version of that doodle is simply my new 2020 perspective on an old work.