Crystal Liu: what sparkles…
With sparse sophistication, Crystal Liu transforms elements of nature into a lexicon of characters that enact imaginative narratives with ominous undertones. Liu’s inventive use of glitter animates her work with an unexpected counterpoint to the turmoil depicted.
In the series “what sparkles,” a snake in love with a garden sets the stage for a drama of jealousy, obsession, greed, and destruction. Here flora and fauna experience the brutal consequences of extreme human emotions. In a second series, “what a drag,” characters from previous bodies of work float through an ambiguous landscape, moored to a cloud with a knotted rope. In another, more light-hearted series, “Papercakes,” Liu imagines cakes made of paper in celebration of the traditional gift marking the first year of marriage.
Crystal Liu was born in Canada to Chinese immigrants. She received her MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute in 2005 and currently lives in San Francisco.
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Crystal Liu"in over our heads, 'and here's your slice cake' ", 2010ink, watercolor and gouache on paper30 x 22 inches
76.2 x 55.9 cms -
Crystal Liu"what sparkles... 'whatever it takes' ", 2010ink, gouache and glitter on paper22 x 22 inches
55.9 x 55.9 cms -
Crystal Liu"what sparkles... 'all of you, II' ", 2010ink, watercolor, gouache and glitter on paper22 1/2 x 22 in
57.1 x 55.9 cm -
Crystal Liu"what sparkles 'i want you' ", 2010gouache and glitter on paper22 x 22 inches
55.9 x 55.9 cms -
Crystal Liu"what sparkles... 'what you have' ", 2010ink, gouache and glitter on paper22 x 22 inches
55.9 x 55.9 cms -
Crystal Liu"what sparkles... 'what can stop me' ", 2010ink, gouache and glitter on paper22 x 22 inches
55.9 x 55.9 cms -
Crystal Liu"what sparkles... 'all of you, I' ", 2010ink, watercolor, gouache and glitter on paper22 1/4 x 22 in
56.5 x 55.9 cm -
Crystal Liuwhat sparkles..."busted", 2011gouache, water color, ink, and glitter on canvas26 x 48 inches
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Crystal Liuwhat sparkles..."too much good sometimes", 2011gouache, water color, ink, and glitter on canvas36 x 36 inches
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Crystal Liuwhat sparkles..."can't take it", 2011gouache, water color, ink, and glitter on canvas36 x 36 inches
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Crystal Liuwhat a drag, "at the end of my rope', 2011water color, ink, gouache, and gold leaf on paperdiptych; each panel 22 x 22 inches
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Crystal Liu"what a drag 'over and over onto myself' ", 2010ink, gouache and collage on paper22 x 22.5 inches
55.9 x 57.2 cms -
Crystal Liu"what a drag 'let go' ", 2010ink and collage on paper22.25 x 22 inches
55.9 x 57.2 cms -
Crystal Liu"what a drag 'the wolf' ", 2010ink, collage & gold leaf on paper22.25 x 22.25 inches
56.5 x 56.5 cms -
Crystal Liu"what a drag 'say that you know' ", 2010ink and collage on paper22 x 22.5 inches
55.9 x 57.2 cms -
Crystal Liu"what a drag 'will you come with' ", 2010ink, gouache and collage on paper22 x 22 inches
55.9 x 57.2 cms -
Crystal Liu"what a drag 'nature's betrayal' ", 2010ink and collage on paper22 x 22.5 inches
55.9 x 57.2 cms -
Crystal Liu"what a drag 'the weight of what sparkles' ", 2010ink, collage & gold leaf on paper22 1/2 x 22 in
57.1 x 55.9 cm -
Crystal Liupaper cake, 'let's stick together', 2011ink and marker on paper9 x 11 inches
22.9 x 27.9 cm -
Crystal Liu"but I love you" (paper cake), 2011ink and marker on paper12 x 10 in
30.5 x 25.4 cm -
Crystal Liu"get over it" (paper cake), 2011ink and marker on paper9 x 12 in
22.9 x 30.5 cm -
Crystal Liupaper cake, 'too sad to tell you 2', 2011ink and marker on paper12 x 12 inches
30.5 x 30.5 cm