Artist Statement:
All of my life, I’ve been fascinated by all things space related. As I’ve grown up, the astronaut has become a symbol to me of the between-worlds feelings I have from being a TCK. Now that I’m in college in America and so many things have changed, I am even more aware of the fact that there’s no going back to the way life was when I was a kid.
In this painting, the astronaut symbolizes how I feel, sort of adrift between the places I have been, am currently, and will someday be. The window represents the past and how it can be treasured and longed for, but it can’t be reached anymore; the view through the window is a slightly abstracted photo of a Thai rice field, representing my home.
(Fun fact: I painted this with rainwater from Thailand and America.)
Erica Jones was born in America, and her family moved to Thailand when she was four. Erica and her three siblings grew up in Surin, Thailand. In 2021, Erica moved to America to attend Bob Jones University, and she plans to graduate in 2024 with a major in Visual Studies and a minor in Criminal Justice.
