Tracie Cheng

Artist Statement:

So often we come across a multitude of things that are more complex than we’ll ever really know. Just being alive means acknowledging the seen and at times having to trust in the unseen: what is visible is not always the full picture, and what is beneath the surface can speak volumes.

There is a richness in the combination of these layers- all working together to form a textured story. My work is a play on space and depth, structure and fluidity. As I interweave lines and paint, the painting takes on an unexpected, yet natural evolution and movement. I want my paintings to draw people in with questions of knowing more. I want a calm understanding to be felt, despite what may never be known. I want us to find more possibility in the intangible, and allow for it to come into its own.

I graduated with a degree in architecture and as it turns out, it was just the beginning of my love for art and design- I had no idea the world it would open me up to. Art has been an outlet in which to express my solutions, pose my problems, find my peace. It is a silent communication that has its ways of speaking louder than words. My love and interest in art and design has led me to understand that it can be applied to almost everything, and can enhance spaces and better experiences. There’s something simultaneously tranquil and passionate about the pieces I create- mostly in the process, and hopefully in the product. I approach some pieces with great intention- wanting to give a voice to a story, real or dreamt up, hoping that the intention will transcend the piece itself, while others are just fun studies in composition, color, and fluidity. Creating art quiets my mind and inspires my soul, and my hope is that others can have a similar experience through this art.

I feel so fortunate to be living out my dreams in this way, and alongside my husband and art partner, sculptor Eóin Burke, no less!