Yu-Wen Wu
Accumulation of Dreams VII, 2023
Graphite, gold ink, 18 carat gold leaf on Arches paper
26 x 40 inches
38 x 42 inches framed
38 x 42 inches framed
YW050
Copyright The Artist
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This artwork is registered with Fairchain, which establishes secondary sales royalties for the artist. Please inquire with the gallery for more information. The Accumulation of Dreams is a series of...
This artwork is registered with Fairchain, which establishes secondary sales royalties for the artist. Please inquire with the gallery for more information.
The Accumulation of Dreams is a series of works on paper that articulate the American dream from an immigrant’s perspective. Through the use of gold foil, the work references the mid-19th century boom in Chinese migration to the U.S. during the California Gold Rush, the metaphor of "streets paved with gold," as well as the universal notion of one kind of success. But success can also be measured as freedom, safety, and opportunity. Mounds of leaves speak to the historical waves of immigration. Each leaf represents an individual person: some leaves are covered with gold leaf, while others are rendered simply in graphite and gold ink. This work stands for the multitudes of immigrant hopes, promises and dreams. It also acknowledges the eternal anxieties in immigrant populations and questions who has the opportunity to achieve the American dream.
The Accumulation of Dreams is a series of works on paper that articulate the American dream from an immigrant’s perspective. Through the use of gold foil, the work references the mid-19th century boom in Chinese migration to the U.S. during the California Gold Rush, the metaphor of "streets paved with gold," as well as the universal notion of one kind of success. But success can also be measured as freedom, safety, and opportunity. Mounds of leaves speak to the historical waves of immigration. Each leaf represents an individual person: some leaves are covered with gold leaf, while others are rendered simply in graphite and gold ink. This work stands for the multitudes of immigrant hopes, promises and dreams. It also acknowledges the eternal anxieties in immigrant populations and questions who has the opportunity to achieve the American dream.