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Valerie Yeo: universe [held]
The hands are one of the most expressive parts of the body. They are integral to work, rest, play, and connections with other people. They are made from the same elements as earth, fire, water, and air, and as such, are a constant reminder of the connection to nature. Hands are used intuitively every day, and amass a colossal and innate wisdom contained inside the skin. This series is an intimate collection of hand portraits belonging to loved ones in my queer, trans, and Black, Indigenous, and Person of Color (QTBIPOC) community. Each pair reflects the unique fingerprint each person reflects in life. As Valerie Yeo was making this series, Valerie Yeo was struck by the radiance contained inside each set of hands, and the ever-shifting light surrounding them, a reminder of the abundance contained inside us individually and collectively.
Dr. Valerie Yeo is a queer artist, community organizer, educator, and psychologist. Each of their identities informs the others, and is infused into their creative life. They create with mediums including oil and acrylic paint, soft pastel, digital art, and collage. Their work explores creative practice as a form of meditation and intuition.
Lynn Yarne is a 4th- and 5th-generation Chinese and Japanese American artist based in Portland, OR. Given the prevalence of historical and ongoing race-based displacement and community separation, themes of community, resilience and loss often come up for her in explorations of space and stakeholdership. She wonders about the capacity for art to engage and create stakeholders, to actively involve people in the repair and visionary thinking of marginalized peoples.