REVERBERATIONS

This series of works by MaiYap explores the subject of nature from a different perspective than her earlier works which focused on the physical world. These paintings explore nature at a human level. She calls them “Reverberations” because human nature constantly echoes from past to present with new ideas, but always reflective, even dependent, of the old, and with the potential for dire consequences when kindness and respect are forgotten. While the language may be different as it is modernized for a new generation, she sees repercussions in its cause and effects, whether intellectual, physical or emotional. In these works, the echoes of repercussion and its consequences are represented by dominant circular images, done with thickly applied paint using only a palette knife for textured effects. Deep rich color combinations produce the dynamic energy that reflects her message. Vibrant and powerful, the colors are now used with black for dramatic impressions. Black is the absence of color and its use achieves remarkable results as the other colors emerge. Black becomes a blank slate for awareness and kindness, allowing the series to take on an entirely new appearance, different from previous series, as Mai Yap’s art continues to address her key issues about the environment, and the interactive role and responsibility of humanity. 

Text by Carol Damian,  Ph. D.

Art Historian