By Christina Chang

As a Chinese-Italian American artist, my heritage is the foundation of everything I create. It lives in the colors I choose, the energy of each brushstroke, and the way I approach space, memory, and emotion in my work. I don’t always begin a painting with a specific cultural reference in mind, but inevitably, pieces of my background rise to the surface—sometimes loud and vibrant, sometimes quiet and contemplative.

Growing up between two rich cultures gave me a deep appreciation for contrast, rhythm, and layered meaning. From my Chinese father, I inherited a love for design and architecture. From my Italian-American mother, I absorbed the joy of expression through food, conversation, and aesthetics—boldness, warmth, and a passion for color.

When I paint, I often think in textures and movement. My abstract works are not literal depictions, but they hold emotional landscapes shaped by family, place, and lived experience. A series of gestural marks might echo the swirl of voices around a Sunday dinner table. A palette of golds, reds, and deep blues might nod to ancestral textiles, porcelain, or Mediterranean sunsets.

My work isn’t about explaining my identity, but about feeling it. It’s about translating the complexities of being both—and sometimes feeling like neither—into a visual language that invites others to connect with their own sense of belonging.

In a world that often asks us to fit neatly into categories, abstract art gives me space to simply *be*. It honors the in-between, the blended, the intuitive. It allows me to celebrate the richness of my heritage without being confined by it.

This journey is ongoing. With every canvas, I’m uncovering new ways that my roots continue to inform my vision—and I’m grateful to share that evolving story through art.

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*Thank you for reading. If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences with cultural identity and creativity. Feel free to explore my latest abstract works https://christinachangart.com/pages/abstract-paintings