Yellow Circumstances, Kathy Liao - A Review
Kathy Liao is a local Kansas City Artist and former artist in residence at Studios Inc. Liao draws from her background as a Taiwanese-American to create work that addresses themes of travel, family, relationships, and the immigrant experience. She has an MFA in Painting from Boston University and a BFA in Painting and Drawing from University of Washington, Seattle. Her work has been shown both internationally and nationally from New York to Kansas City. She has previously been the Director of the Painting and Printmaking Studio Art Program at Missouri Western State University, and taught at Boston University, University of Washington, Seattle University, and Gage Academy of Art. Currently she is part of the Artist Services team at Mid-America Arts Alliance in Kansas City.
One of her pieces in The Studios Inc Residency Collection, titled Yellow Circumstances, is particularly stunning. The main subject is a woman sitting down in the nude. Expressive paint strokes define her figure, colored pink, blue, green, and purple. The expression on her face is ambiguous, and could be read as contemplative or forlorn. She sits in a room painted in several different shades of yellow. There is a window to her right, the slats of the window shade painted green. A single white shoe sits in the foreground. The painting is expressive, with a mixture of thick and thin lines of paint, and there are even places where Liao has allowed the paint to drip down the canvas. When looking at the work, the eye of the viewer is constantly uncovering the layers of the piece as Liao uses a mix of materials that include paper, paint, and canvas amongst other materials. Overall there is a gratitude felt for being allowed into the intimate setting of the painting.
This piece is amongst several others that are currently for sale at Studios Inc. Each piece from The Studios Inc Residency Collection would make a great addition to a home or office and supports Studios Inc’s mission of providing mid-career artists with a space to create. You can view works available to purchase at https://www.studiosinc.org/studiosinc-collection.