Clare Kuo
My artwork is influenced by having grown up in the East. Much of my work as a college student was inspired aboriginal dress and crafts. While my style has evolved, my color palette is still largely influenced by humble aboriginal traditions. For example, my palette is limited to four primary colors (red or blue, ochre, black and white), I use simple shapes such as circles or ovals and I create plenty of open space. I may also use large strokes of Sumi ink on rice paper or applied directly to the surface to balance out the color and add an additional element of complexity. Fifteen years of graphic design experience have strongly influenced my creative process and the final composition of each piece. I start each painting by sketching graphical elements on paper and using the sketch as an inspiration. While the final piece may not resemble the initial sketch, balance, harmony and structure are all based on the fundamentals of graphic design. My latest series, “Tap”, has been inspired, in part, by my passion for tap dance. My home studio doubles as dance studio where my children and I practice tap dance. We’ve been taking classes for a couple of years and have become fascinated with the form. If I am ever stuck with a piece or just need a break, I practice tap for a while and come back with a clear mind. I have incorporated typeface in my tap series that remind me of the onomatopoeia sound “tap”. As a graphic designer and artist that loves old typewriters, tap is an appropriate word that describes the sounds coming from my studio and my heart. I speak English, Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese and live with my husband and two children in the San Francisco Bay Area. In my free time I enjoy dancing, gardening, music and film.
