IT MAGAZINE IT MAGAZINE - FEBRUARY ISSUE | Page 16

ARTISTS ' STUDIO
Whoa! Eye Knee for Alicia
( 2016 ) Marker on paper by :
NGUYEN , Nathan
The artist is a fan of word play
as well as learning languages. The
Chinese phrase
(wǒ ài nı̌)
我愛你
was one of the first few phrases
taught to the artist. The artist
dedicated this piece to a close
friend who was bilingual in
Standard Mandarin Chinese and
English. The phrase wǒ ài nı̌ has
been approximated to “whoa! eye
knee” in American English and has
been interpreted literally as an eye
that has appeared on a knee. The
choice of yellow skin may be an
attempt by the artist to reclaim
the yellow colour association with
the Asian race, as the artist and
the person to whom the piece is
dedicated are both of East Asian
descent. The green shorts appear
to represent the richness and
depth of their friendship, though
the pant length may indicate that
the friendship did not last for very
long.
IT Magazine / February Issue
14