On April 8, Sidwell’s Chinese V and History of East Asia classes traveled to the Maria & Alberto De La Cruz Art Gallery located near Georgetown University. The gallery focuses on the artist Hung Liu, a Chinese immigrant who lived half of her life in China. “Happy and Gay,” Liu’s collection, spotlights groups that are often overlooked in history. She was born in Changchun, China, and lived through significant political events, including the Cultural Revolution, which shaped her artistic approach.
Upper School Chinese and Interim Chinese Studies Director Xuan Wang and Upper School East Asian History Teacher Jake Dingman collaborated to organize the trip, hoping to develop unique experiences for their students. Wang intends to have Chinese V students create a bilingual web page for one of Liu’s art pieces and explain how her work represents crucial historical events. These websites will accompany the art gallery as it travels through various exhibitions across the nation.
Later in her career, Liu illustrated books she had read in her childhood to expose the hidden and propagandist images she had discovered later in life. One of her pieces titled “Street Readers” was inspired by the Chinese dictator Mao Zedong who called for the burning of millions of books, the establishment of reeducation camps and the spreading of propaganda through children’s books. The painting depicts a collection of young children sitting at a street library reading books for affordable prices, according to the Georgetown University Art Galleries website.
Wang explains how “[Liu] realized the books were [about] how to behave under Mao, they were teaching [the children] how to be a good citizen. So she wanted to expose the way children’s books teach lessons.” Sidwell students had the opportunity to view the artworks, and compare the source photo with Liu’s redrawn version.
Junior Ethan Huang, a Chinese V student, explained that “[Liu’s] art makes history feel more personal. After the trip I understand why it’s important to listen to voices that history usually leaves out.”
Freshman Norah Chang, another Chinese V student, added, “I think the part that resonated with me most was how much her art was affected by her experiences. Especially the drawing of the street library, because it let me see into Hung Liu’s life as a child.”
According to Wang, Liu is more than an artist; she is also a teacher. “[E]ven though Hong Liu isn’t with us, her artwork can be a medium for students to learn,” Wang said. “And sometimes, history is big and broad and abstract. And so to learn history through a person’s own experience and art makes it more reachable.”
