Su Su
Phenomenology of Nutrients, 2022
Oil on canvas
36 x 36 in
91.4 x 91.4 cm
91.4 x 91.4 cm
8643
Further images
Phenomenology of Nutrients expresses Su Su’s complicated relationship with the classic aesthetic motifs found on antique Chinese porcelain pieces, such as vases and plates. The peach is a symbol of...
Phenomenology of Nutrients expresses Su Su’s complicated relationship with the classic aesthetic motifs found on antique Chinese porcelain pieces, such as vases and plates. The peach is a symbol of long life in Chinese culture. When Western museums display antique porcelains bearing the peach motif, they tend to focus the narrative of the piece on the male emperors who are said to have wanted to eat these mystical peaches so they could live forever. These narratives neglect the fact that these peaches are actually part of the domain of a female deity, the goddess Xi Wangmu, or Queen Mother of the West. In Phenomenology of Nutrients, we can see that Su Su has incorporated feminine faces amidst the swirling peaches and flowers. To Su Su, the peach motif relates not so much to the distant past, but to her everyday life growing up in China. This imagery was commonly found on the dishes she used everyday for meals. The peach motif triggers for her a reminder of nutrients, which relate to her well being and how she wants to live as a person and an artist. “A lot of times I go to a museum and see pieces like that, and I like them because they have a function not only because I appreciate their cultural meanings,” Su Su says, “not only because they’re antiques. The best artworks are the ones you can appreciate in your daily life.”