Description
‘The Infestation of Memory’ by Jacquell
Artist: Jacquell
Title: ‘The Infestation of Memory’
Medium: Sumi, natural pigments on natural dyed Fabriano Artistico paper 600 gsm
Dimensions: 29″ x 13″
Framing: Unframed
Year of Creation: 2022
About the Artwork:
“Humanity is a creation of memory. But what is memory without forgetting? To be able to forget means sanity” as said by Jack London, we are programmed to forget traumatic experiences that are deemed unnecessary or may hinder our growth and survival. But sometimes, our ability to forget goes haywire and memory grows bigger over time until it consumes us completely. Have you ever felt like being eaten alive by an overwhelming emotion that is associated with a specific memory? It feels like a living organism that crawls under our skin and feeds on our flesh. Memories that are aggressive like acid corroding our sanity…. I bet a few of us have been through.
Butterfly is universally adored, but its former metamorphosis is on the other hand, often considered as a pest. They are called the eating machine for the ability to devastate the foliage in no time. And the image of the caterpillar attacking a plant, to me, is a chilling symbolism that represents this infestation of memory.” – Jacquell
About the Artist:
Phương Nguyễn, also known as Jacquell, is a self-taught artist born and raised in Saigon, Vietnam. While pursuing her B.F.A in graphic design at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in the United States, she explored her childhood passion for drawing and transformed a hobby into a lifelong career. Phuong is currently based in Bologna, a beautiful town in northern Italy where she continues to nurture her art practice with her family.
To Phương, art presents infinite possibilities. It can be a vessel that carries one’s history and emotion across dimensions, a mirror that reflects society’s ever-changing reality, or a portal that transcends dreams. Her arts falls into the category of magical realism with a careful dedication to details. They often juxtapose a poignant narrative of human condition against a muted backdrop of natural phenomena and classical motifs, reflecting her connection to Vietnamese culture and tradition.