Waitress’ Diary 19 – Love will come to those who listen.

Firstly I was amazed by the contrast of this series of painting, big and small figures, pure b/w image and colour red, and the horns on a human head. All these images are hanging on a pale white wall, which was totally empty about a week ago.

Being as a waitress who works at a café which is the opposite site of the exhibition room, the experience of witnessing this exhibition space changing faces is always amusing. And also the chance to get to know the artists, the opportunity to see the exhibition constructing and demolishing, probably becomes the second best thing after the smell of a good coffee in my daily work.

Andy Leleisi'uao, the artist from New Zealand, and also as a NZ born Samoan, accepted the Taiwan Art Residency programme offered by both Asia New Zealand Foundation and Taipei Artist Village. According to this programme, artists from overseas come to Taipei Artist Village for an approximately 3-month stay, and during this period of time, the artists need to create an art work which is dealing with their experience of staying in Taiwan, their personal experience back at home land, and how these two varied experience combine and interact. Andy lists 20 pieces of works sequencing from letter A to T, somehow becomes a story to its viewers.

The significant contrasts between two creatures presenting how people from different races (or creatures) communicating with an exceptional caution. The huge brown/blue colour monster-like creature carefully sends out message to other a lot smaller black silhouette people.

Then the huge brown creature fades out. Paintings are focusing on the same kind of, again, black silhouette people, with Andy’s iconic figure of horns on the head. This part still shows how communication goes, or how communication can go wrong in terms of emotions, love, relations and so on.

The final work; it seems to go to the original and also final goal of this series. The two totally alike creature, just different in colour (one is black whilst the other one is white) holding shoulders and sitting together conveying the idea that friendship would be capable to go across race and gender.

This series somehow indicates artist’s personal experience of living in abroad (Taiwan) for a period of time and finding the bridge connecting himself and people who are from an entirely different culture; meanwhile, it is also showing the transition stage of artist himself. After my trip to this exhibition room, I took my chance to visit Andy’s studio, which is also part of this programme for the Spring Exhibition/ Studio Opening that the artists not only present their art work in a gallery, but also demonstrate other art works (or themselves) in the studios which allow the visitors could be able to get access to the artists in a more approachable way.

Andy’s pervious works are more related to social issues such as racism, which I believe it is from his personal experience of being a NZ born Samoan. His works remain silent yet with a strong voice of questioning. That reminds me our first conversation at the café at his first night in Taipei. We talked about culture difference. That his family/race considers lowering one’s head while talking means respect whilst people from other race could possibly regard it as a sign of obedience. Simply the difference of mind-set, yet it could bring out a totally controversial interpretation. From Andy’s previous art works to now, it could be seen that the focus is somehow changing. From anger and questioning, to consolation and communication. I’m of course curious about how this transition process goes, and also what factors have made his intention varies. It seems that I didn’t utilize fully of my time with Andy to dig out the reasons behind.

My favourite painting of Andy’s work this time at Taipei Artist Village is titled as “D. The Key to Particular Love. - A piece on how music transcends barriers.” For some reasons that Andy combine the image of love and music, that he put a red heart in a music box, whilst this tiny music box is in the big brown creature’s hand reaching out to other small black silhouette people who are obviously listening and appreciating the music at the same time with a distance in between. The red heart is of course an eye-catching item right away, outstanding from a series of low key colour (black/white/brown/blue) image; moreover, the meaning it stands. How Andy relates music and love? That remains a question to me still. I could only guess there is a certain song or rhythm which has provoked his heart and that becomes the theme of this art work. Moreover, I couldn’t help wondering, whilst the differences are apparent, in terms of race, language, colour, figure and mentality and so on. Is there anything remains unchangeable?

As a waitress in the café at Taipei Artist Village, I could call myself the most frequent exhibition visitor since the exhibition space is exactly right across. However, I would also probably be the viewer who has the least objective viewpoints since I get to know the artists before their show, then get to know them more or in another way after their show. Luckily art is not necessary needed to be dealt with objectiveness; it is all about feelings, interpretation and preference. That it could be felt without logical reasons or analysis, and interpreted according to one’s own background, and preferred by one’s heart with a certain emotional link.

Maybe that’s the reason why I particularly prefer this painting. That love goes like music, without words, and flies through barriers and time. It comes along with a good will, and builds up a bridge which allows people to communicate with each other, to reflect one’s personal experience, to melt the prejudice or stereotype, or just simply to dissolve the fear of being unlike.

I stood in front of this painting for quite a long while, and couldn’t take my eyes away from that little red heart and also the relationship between the big brown/blue creature and other small silhouette people. The good will is big but gentle, strong yet careful, with great expectation of being understood.


And I’m still trying to understand.


Even though the rhythm or feelings beneath still remain unknown. the picture is courtesy of Andy Leleisi'uao.