The works Andromeda and Venus depict the delicacy and changing moods of womanhood through organic, blurred forms, highlighting the harmony between nature and feminine beauty. The works are inspired by the Color Field movement and the abstract painting of Helen Frankenthaler, who became a leading figure in the second generation of American Abstract Expressionists in the 1950s. Frankenthaler was renowned for using the free flow of colour on canvas to convey emotion and sensitivity, which is echoed in this pair of paintings.
Just as every leaf in nature is unique and beautiful in its imperfection, so too women find beauty in their uniqueness. They do not have to conform to society’s constant expectations of perfection and do not need to be uniform. The titles Andromeda and Venus carry a rich mythological meaning. Princess Andromeda is a symbol of beauty in Greek mythology, who would have been sacrificed to a sea monster, but was rescued and married by the hero Perseus. In her story, feminine beauty is not only a physical value but a symbolic value that unfolds through overcoming obstacles. Venus, the goddess of love and beauty in Roman mythology, is the ultimate symbol of femininity, embodying divine, natural beauty.
The cosmic perspectives associated with the names of these works emphasize that feminine beauty, like the universe, is infinite and permanent, not bound by age or perfection. The Andromeda galaxy, one of the largest spiral galaxies in the universe, and Venus, the brightest celestial body in the solar system, symbolize that beauty is not static but an ever-changing but constant force.
