Chinoiserie paintings are a reflection of my heritage and my family's story

This style isn't just a trend for me, it's who I am.

"Chinoiserie" is a French word for Chinese art that was adapted for sale to a European audience. As a mixed-race artist, it's the perfect blend of my two heritages. 

But I take it even further and put a personal twist on the style. Rather than using traditional materials, I use acrylic paint, a technology that's existed for less than a century. Every generation of artists uses the technology that's available to them, and it helps the style feel fresh. 

I learned traditional Chinese painting two decades ago, using ink on rice paper. I also learned traditional western/European art, including oil painting, watercolor, and drawing. Historically, a big difference between two is that Chinese art celebrates the brush strokes of the artist, whereas European artists mostly tried to create the illusion of reality, with no visible brush strokes. It took until the late 1800s for the Impressionists to celebrate seeing "the artist's hand" in western art. 

Now, I use the bold brush strokes that I learned in Chinese painting, but with the texture and color of the modern acrylic paint. 

My own backyard garden provides endless inspiration to me. In order to give my chinoiserie paintings a dreamy, fantastical mood, I don't paint an exact copy of what the flowers look like in real life. Instead, I watch my peonies, apple blossoms, and hydrangeas grow throughout the year. I learn what make them bend and sway, and how new branches unfold. I use that observation to create imagined garden scenes. 

Finally, I sign each piece with both my American/English name, and my red Chinese seal, because I'm both!

Sometimes I think about all of the things that happened in the lives of my ancestors, and how they aligned to create me. 

Every painting I create is the result of my entire life history: what I've painted before, what I've practiced, what I've seen, and what I've experienced.

But this collection is not just about me. It's a celebration of my family and heritage, so I've named each piece after a woman in my family tree. They are all a part of the story of my art. 

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The chinoiserie collection releases March 28, 2026 with the KP Art Collective.