Juxtapose. What a word to describe the life of a TCK. This week, Emily Sark shares her artwork with us and talks about how art has helped her put her story pieces from “opposite worlds onto a singular canvas.” She hopes “to deepen understanding of third culture kids and cultivate empathy in those who engage with [her] art.”
Growing up overseas, I gained a lot of perspective and experience with multicultural settings. I spent the majority of my developmental years in China, in a culture different from my parent’s background. This experience has not only given me an appreciation for cultures different from my own but also a deeper understanding of grief, culture shock, and cultural norms and differences. Art making was a major resource for me when I processed the grief of moving back to my passport country after 15 years in China and had to wrestle with my complex identity as a third culture kid.
I am fascinated by the transformative power of painting, particularly its ability to juxtapose opposite worlds onto a singular canvas. My creative journey begins with deconstructing and reassembling photographs to create abstract landscapes. Just as I am not fully a part of American culture or Chinese culture, these landscapes are not fully one place or another; rather, they are somewhere in between. This format offers a unique lens through which to view the TCK experience of constant homesickness and the desire to feel a sense of belonging. I hope to deepen understanding of third culture kids and cultivate empathy in those who engage with my art.
Emily Sark
Artist
Website: https://emilygsark.wixsite.com/website
Instagram: @esark_art
