Artist Statement: Christine Szeto Text Me Window Box
Text Me Exhibition July 2023
Ideas for my installation came from my love of music. When I work I always listen to music and songs from movies like Highschool Musical, Grease, and Frozen. And of course, Disco. My art is a way of sharing the songs and the music that I'm hearing in a way that people can touch, see and feel. That's why I am calling the installation “Diva Disco Party.”
I started creating art in 2006 at Stepping Stones in San Leandro. When I came to Creative Growth in 2010 the studio was huge and there were so many classes. I learned to knit and started working on clothing for the fashion show. The clothing in this installation is part of a series where I embroider text and characters in English and Chinese onto the fabric and sew the finished pieces onto clothing. I speak Cantonese and English. My parents taught me how to write Chinese, I feel proud of that. And proud of my parents, using the characters in my artwork lets people know who I am and where my family is from.
I also really love all the steps of printmaking. In the center of the installation is an etching with tulips. I like working with my hands and carving the shapes of flowers then putting different colored ink on the plate. Here we transferred the ink to paper, but I also like to print on fabric or clothes. I love to see my artwork on clothing, especially on the models in the fashion show. Or when I get to model.
Art making makes me feel happy and wonderful. And I love coming to Creative Growth to see everyone and be with my friends. When someone looks at my installation, I want people to feel surprised, happy, and excited to dance and sing along with the songs. I want them to say “Whoa, look at that. It's gorgeous and I'm so proud of Christine.”
Images L to R: Creative Growth artist Christine Szeto poses proudly in front of her window box installation as part of the “Text Me” Exhibition; Christine Szeto works on pieces that will go inside her window box display, completed watercolors are in the foreground.