Alexandra Chiou
The Finest Hour, 2021, Ink and cut paper, Courtesy of the Artist.
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Instagram: @alexandrachiou
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Transcript
My name is Alexandra Chiou and the works I am exhibiting in the Newport Biennial are called “The Voyage” and “The Finest Hour.”
“The Voyage” is a piece I made celebrating my father’s journey to America. He came from very humble beginnings, and despite that was always so optimistic about the future. He left the only world he ever knew to pursue his dreams and make a better life for himself in a new land. I have always been so inspired by his optimism, humility, resilience, and courage. In this piece, I celebrate his leap of faith in the face of great uncertainty and the infinite possibilities that arose from his journey.
“The Finest Hour” is a work on paper I finished after the recent passing of my father. The piece incorporates a poem I wrote during the final months of his life that reads, “Some days were darker / than others but now they are / dots on my canvas.” When creating this piece, I was processing the uncertainty of his prognosis and looked to optimism, hope, and gratitude to cope during some of these darkest hours.
I hope that if you find yourself in a challenging scenario or life transition, that you find healing and peace. That you understand your true inner strength and power during times of vulnerability. That even when all seems hopeless, that you see there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and your finest hour is yet to come.