Brenda Lau

Brenda Lau is a Boston-based visual artist utilizing their creative process as a mindfulness practice. They are primarily inspired by the relationships that inhabit and surround them. Their work is an intimate projection of their seeking, yearning, accepting, as well as learning.

“Feeling inspired by the spirit of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I started this series in 2020 as a means to look inward. Not to demand anything of or to make any assumptions for myself. I simply wanted to deeply check in on what, how, and where I was experiencing thoughts and emotions pertaining to my identity in that present moment. My very initial reaction to this exercise was to hold myself. And what eventually later surfaced was a great deal of polarity. I realized that I’m more out and proud to be queer than ever before, and yet I still felt unsettled in claiming that truth. I was the most appreciative and in awe of my body that I’ve been those past 22 years, and yet I still worried that that acceptance wouldn't stand the test of time. I was (and still am) the farthest I’ve ever lived from my family, my roots, and yet I felt more connected to my Chinese heritage then than ever. My Chinese heritage is intrinsically linked with much of my childhood trauma and the many harmful ideas I’ve been working to unlearn. And yet, it is also a dimension to my being that I wouldn’t ever wish to not exist because I have found so much incredible connection and comfort in its space. The drawings in this series present indeterminate parts of a complete whole. They are my personal strides towards finding peace in my complexity. They are reassurances for others.”

———Brenda Lau