Amped

Kao Lee Thao

Installation Date: 2012

Materials: Painted Transformer Box

Description:

“Art is an inspired Echo of human existence.”

The transformer box explores the influence of American culture and expressing Thao's art form through echoing textiles showcasing the beauty of Hmong art.

About the artist:

Kao Lee Thao began her journey when her mother crossed the Mekong River while she was cradled in her womb. Her family escaped to America in 1976 with only $5 in their pocket to begin a new life, settling in La Crescent, Minnesota. Kao Lee’s arrival to the world created another journey for her mother across the Mississippi River to give birth in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Water and travel have become central ideas in her paintings. Her work is infused with an expressively fluid style that allows viewers to travel into the past and see the echo of Hmong folktales, themes, and patterns passed down verbally from generation to generation in the Hmong culture.