Artist statement: ‘Yut, Yee, Sahm’ (2019) reflects the nuance of my identity and experience, in its duality or perhaps its multiplicity, beyond reductive constructs of Indigeneity commonly used to describe Aboriginal people – drawing into the frame my Chinese experience and culture, which influences the way I work and live. These photographs are held within bold high-gloss red frames, yet they are more than frames. They are critical components of the work, cultural vessels or windows which articulate both Ngarrindjeri design and Chinese design, symbology and numerology. My self-portrait is held within the Chinese symbol for prosperity, reflecting my commitment to success in life, to the discipline that emerged from the upbringing with my Chinese grandparents and to the hopes and dreams for my children. The work forms the cultural legacy I pass down to my children, and will live well beyond me, housed in collections. The inclusion of my uncle, Major Sumner speaks to the cultural legacy I have inherited, with my uncle being a cultural mentor for me as I navigate the social and cultural spaces of Indigenous life and creative practice.
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Also known as Giclee prints or bubble-jet prints, pigment ink-jet prints are generated by computer printers from digital or scanned files using dye-based or pigment-based inks. A series of nozzles spray tiny droplets of ink onto the paper surface in a precise pattern that corresponds to the digital image file. In dye-based prints the ink soaks into the paper, whereas in pigment-based prints the ink rests and dries on top of the paper surface.
Whilst the term is broad, pigment ink-jet prints have come to be associated with prints produced on fine art papers. They are the most versatile and archival method of printing available to photographers today. A wide variety of material on which an image can be printed with such inks are available, including various textures and finishes such as matte photo paper, watercolour paper, cotton canvas or pre-coated canvas.
