The Willow Glen Resident

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Up Close and Personal: To investigate the symbols and motifs she uses in her work, Willow Glen artist Lucy Liew visits the people of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, twice a year.

Willow Glen meets Borneo in an international display of art

Local artists exhibit work at WGNA's anniversary party

By Michelle Ku

Heavily influenced by motifs of the people of Sarawak, Malaysia, Lucy Liew's paintings are bold and vivid representations of her experiences visiting that area. Her semi-abstract paintings are characterized by the use of bright, passionate blues, reds, oranges and greens.

Liew, born in Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, moved to Willow Glen three months ago. She is internationally known for her interpretations of Sarawak culture, motifs and designs.

Liew's art and the work of five other Willow Glen artists--John Burnett, Elaine Frenette, Ed Hardy, Kay Omni and Suzanne Welch--was on exhibit Sunday at the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association's 25th birthday party.

More than just an acknowledgment of the group's impact on Willow Glen; the June 14 celebration was also an artistic showcase.

"It's an education for the community to discover that there are creative and talented people living in our neighborhood," said WGNA treasurer Margaret Hardy.

The artists' showcase was the brainchild of Hardy, a new WGNA board member. A 30-year veteran of the art world, Hardy wanted to get art, both visual and performance, involved in the celebration. She found the Willow Glen artists in the catalog distributed by Open Studios of South Bay Artists.

"I was surprised and pleased to be invited to be a part of this celebration," Liew said.

Liew displayed four paintings: Aso Series, Diary of the Baram River, The Baram Nocturne and Man in Nature. Aso Series is a representation of a dragon earring made out of deer horn. "Aso" is the native term for dragon, Liew said.

Three of the four paintings were inspired by Liew's 1995 trip along the Baram River in Sarawak. To investigate the symbols and motifs she uses in her work, Liew visits the people of Sarawak twice a year.

"My work is an abstraction of my experience of my travels and insight of the people of Sarawak," she said.

In contrast to Liew's artwork, which is based on reality, Burnett's paintings come from dreams and images.

"Sometimes I'll be in a meditative state, or I'll just get a picture in my mind. It's kind of spontaneous. I have no idea where the ideas come from," Burnett said.

Hardy initially envisioned an exhibition of paintings and sculptures inspired by the Willow Glen area, but that was not to be. However, she added, "There was one artist [Ed Hardy] who [brought] landscapes and streetscapes of Willow Glen," Hardy said.

The artists were pleased that the showcase provided them with exposure to members of the Willow Glen community. A surrealistic painter, Burnett is a relatively unknown artist who planned to use the event to increase his visibility.

"I welcome any opportunity to show my work. I'm very happy and excited to bring my work out into view," Burnett said.

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