Angelina Tran: Humans Finding Symbols Everywhere

 Throughout the class, we have discussed a deal about the speciality of humans interpreting and finding symbols. We have also discussed how images, songs, and subconscious come out when we let the conscious turn off for a while. These themes would be more important to me than I realized when I had the chance to tour my cousin’s first art exhibit titled Holding onto Fading Memories. The exhibit included some pictures from Vietnam, Buddhist motifs, and an oil painting of my deceased father and grandfather. I vaguely remember seeing the oil painting of my father and grandfather before but I had forgotten at the time. This oil painting had come as a surprise to me when I saw it hanging in the exhibit. Seeing the oil painting, I could not help but tear up a little. My unconscious grieving had come out a little that I had been suppressing when seeing that painting. It was ironic for me to see my father in an art exhibit in an oil painting because he had always warned against becoming an artist despite himself being known for his art in the family and high school. His art style would also be specialized in traditional Chinese watercolors and oil paintings which only added more to the bittersweet ironic moment. I never asked my cousin if he specifically chose oil painting because of my father but it was an important stylistic choice I appreciated nonetheless. My father being featured in my cousin’s first art exhibit was also symbolic I felt because despite my father warning against art he always seemed to have wanted to pursue art. So, my father being in an art exhibit I felt was symbolic of him still being able to pursue that artist career despite his passing. Now, all these symbols are something I know interpreted but I do wonder if my cousin had some similar thoughts? That is, I see now how important symbols are to humans with art being an expression of oneself that can not be told through words. Overall, the art exhibit was touching and I felt a little piece of my grief pass as I felt my father was able to complete a part of his life he was not able to through a symbol I found.

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