Artwork: Anna May Wong & Apparel Line

Anna May Wong: Film

Another apparel line I’m working on is called “Culture Clash”, influenced by social, cultural, and sometimes political symbols. I just started publishing the shirts, so check it out! http://www.zazzle.com/shaireproductions*

I’ve recently discovered the beauty and grace of Anna May Wong, a forgotten starlet in the MGM tradition. She was the first Asian-American woman who stared in feature films in the 1930s+, but like many minorities of her time, she was forced to play stereotypical roles and was restricted from others because of her race and a tradition in old Hollywood known as “yellow face” (where white actors would play Asian characters through makeup and fake accents, as in the movie, “The Good Earth”, or “Charlie Chan”). Anna eventually moved to Europe who favored her with less stereotypical and more narrative roles.

I wanted to pay homage to Anna’s character and spirit of tenacity and determination.

Anna May Wong: Pioneer

Inspiring Commercials & Animation

Like the Superbowl, the commercials that run during the Olympics are just as entertaining–with great storytelling and artistic elements. Here are two of my favorites. . .

United Airlines Commercial “Sea Orchestra” by The Black Heart Gang. Wonderful animation. . .

Two b-ball giants: Yao Ming vs. LeBron James in a Coke ad. Fun visual iconography from both American and Chinese cultures without being overly stereotypical and offensive.

Artwork: Contemplation (Heritage Series)

. Art by Sherrie Thai of ShaireProductions.com

This is the second piece of the Heritage Series I started concerning human atrocities in Asia, particularly the Khmer Rouge–a tribute to my family and to the countless innocent people caught in the crossfire.

The inspiration of this composition was from an old photo (perhaps National Geographic) of an Asian male digging through a pile of bones, looking for the remains of his relatives. What furthered my interest was a photo my friend, Ricky, took while visiting Angkor Wat; it was a simple image of monks looking off into the distance. Merging the two, I came up with this piece. The colors are subdued, with accents on the focal points–the robe and the flames surrounding the bones. The image on the right contains the monotone graphite drawing. I chose not to apply color to the monk’s face to give a sense of humanitarian loss–of being a ghost in a world of struggle and hate.

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