Tidawhitney Lek - Reminiscing

The immediate thoughts that come to mind when experiencing Tidawhitney Lek's paintings for the first time, is that of an idiosyncratic world - where canvasses that bear pastels and paints, heighten personal perspective to a level of poetic spirituality.  Home is evocative of a great many things, for a great many people. Lek, as a first-generation Asian-American, finds this to be the cornerstone of hers. Beige and brown patterned curtains are seen twisted against windows, railings made of curling metal or stray plants initiate a division between the internal narrative of painted figures and a beyond made up of wild gardens in the city. One notices water refill bottles in tricolpate, or the close proximity of living spaces that overtly conjure the family abode.

At the core of family practice is affinity, an interconnected, inherent attachment. Yet, emblems of these relations are often seen as the colossal moments, the celebratory gatherings held away from the maternal home. With Lek, one finds something quite different. There is a comfortability of silences in spaces that are lovingly shared, small, poignant occasions that might otherwise go unnoticed. Scenes, where morning and night rituals provide reassurance. These, stolen moments point to a time where others in the house are asleep. It is during early sunrise or late evening, that time alone becomes emotionally charged with the expectations of the day ahead or reflections on the one that has passed. Lek creates a strong sense that the individual is part of a continuum. This state can be described as a series of transitions within an overriding framework.

Much like when one finds themselves at a point of change where clarity is not always present. The abstract language and juxtaposition of images in 'Reminiscing' are associative of intimate, personal changes, just as much as shared, societal ones. The paintings are made up of technical layers, weaved back and forth between the material physicality of oil, pastels acrylics, and narrative context. Paint is often applied to raw canvas and finished works take on varying textures. Tidawhitney Lek’s interpretation of home, place and environment, affectionately asserts why habitats are so meaningful  — so insightful. Her paintings recalibrate an Asian/American reality with the shifts of millennial and feminist maturity. In some moments, Lek refers to the familiarity of certain objects to allude to an exact moment or sentimental recollection.