THR: Inside Lucy Liuâs art studio, exploring âwhat we choose not to seeâÂ
Liuâs figurative paintings â inspired by shunga, Japanese erotic art popularized in the 17th century â are ruminations on her upbringing in a family where sex and nudity were taboo. When she first began to show these works, a dealer suggested she recut the canvases to eliminate the exaggerated genitals (the work in this article is a relatively tame example). âI canât do that,â she said. âThey were like, âWell, do you want to sell? Do you want to create this career?â I found that so outrageous. [I was] being censored once again. As a child I was not allowed to ask questions but now I canât even show âŚâ she trails off. âI know itâs aggressive, maybe itâs not your taste, but thatâs not the point of the piece.â
