XIAO FARIA DACUNHA
Artist’s Statement
“Hiraeth” is a mixed-media series exploring the concepts of “home” and “cultural homelessness.” Utilizing gelli-plate image transfer: an underrepresented printmaking technique, traditional embroidery, found objects, and parts of Chinese jewelry DIY kits, these pieces explore the fleeting moments in life where I felt most comfortable, eased, and “at home” over my past ten years in the U.S. By doing so, I invite my audience to question themselves: Factor in their experience with their race, gender, and ethnicity, what does it mean to feel at home? What does it take to be at home?
Xiao Faria daCunha is a practicing artist, independent curator, and art journalist based in Kansas City, MO. She is a self-taught artist with a minor in Studio Art and a B.A. in English Creative Writing. Xiao creates works on paper integrating traditional techniques inherited from her Chinese background, including knotting, embroidery, carving, and calligraphy, as well as modern techniques such as collagraph, mixed media collaging, typesetting, and new media. Her practice embraces new ideas and conversations but is always well-fertilized by her heritage. It is her means to explore and redefine her identity as a Chinese diaspora, a BIPOC woman, and an interdisciplinary artist. Her visual art pieces have been exhibited regionally and nationally. Her writings are seen at UrbanMatter, The Pitch KC, BRIDGE Chicago, KCUR, and BELT Magazine.