Meet Rulin Ma, our May Sunday Kitchen Artist.
My artmaking is deeply influenced by my journey as an immigrant to the U.S. Despite the disorientation that comes with reinventing oneself in a new country, I also find a profound sense of empowerment in the process. This drive compels me to constantly question and reconstruct my understanding of the world. In my painting process, I engage in a continuous exploration of overlaying, connecting, and breaking shapes, patterns, lines, and collages, allowing vivid colors,textures, and edges to interact dynamically. Within my work, abstract expression intertwines with partial figurative elements. This approach enables me to compress multiple psychological and physical statuses onto my canvas, seeking a delicate balance within contradictions and chaos. My artmaking serves as a reflection of my journey in navigating dual languages, cultures, and reconstructing myself. Through my work, I aim to reveal the fluidity, ambiguity, and randomness inherent in identity and perception.
Rulin Ma was born and raised in China, and relocated to the United States in her late twenties. Following this move, this significant life change inspired her to pursue a new career direction, using art as a new voice for self-expression. Rulin abstracts, breaks, deforms, and rearranges her experiences and observations into gestures and colors within dynamic pictorial space. In 2021, she obtained a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the California College of the Arts. Currently, she resides and works in Seattle. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at various venues including the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, the Roll Up Project in Oakland, Storefronts SLU, and SOIL Gallery in Seattle. She has been recognized with awards such as the All College Honors Ralls Painting Scholarship in California (2020) and the Anderson Ranch Arts Center Scholarship in Colorado (2020). Additionally, she has participated in artist residencies at the Rockland Woods Artist Residency in Washington and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center in Nebraska.
Find their work at:
Rulinma.art & @rulin_ma