NEW YORK, NY.- Claire Oliver Gallery announces Our Family Portrait, the first U.S. solo exhibition by Chinese-Canadian artist Sami Tsang. The exhibition features new large-scale, richly layered figurative and allegorical works in ceramic sculpture, painting, and installation. Tsang’s studio practice delves into the complexities of mythology, identity, cultural inheritance, family dynamics, and personal liberation. Our Family Portrait will be on view May 24 - July 26, 2025, at Claire Oliver Gallery in Harlem.
Tsang’s ceramic figures exist in a liminal space between tradition and rebellion, bearing the weight of cultural history while simultaneously breaking free from its constraints. “My work and my studio practices are very empowering. I use my work as a way to have difficult conversations with myself,” Tsang says. “My studio practice often explores feeling silenced or confined; by making the work and putting these feelings and memories into forms, I can assert a voice that wasn’t always accessible to me.”
Our Family Portrait expands her exploration of the domestic sphere as both a site of comfort and constraint. Using humor and symbolism, her sculptural works reflect the psychological complexities of family life, evoking themes of transformation, resilience, and adaptation. Drawing from childhood memories, Chinese proverbs, and cultural symbols, Tsang challenges traditional roles and societal expectations, creating a deeply personal yet universally resonant narrative.
Raised in a traditional Chinese household as the youngest female child, Tsang navigates the tension between obedience, duty, and the pursuit of individuality, revealing the unspoken struggles of a bicultural identity. Her large-scale figures—bold, exaggerated, and emotionally charged—capture moments of repression, rebellion, and transformation. Through humor, distortion, and fantasy, her figures embody the negotiation between traditional Chinese values—rooted in filial piety, modesty, and family honor—and the desire for autonomy and self-expression.
Inspired by comics, an early influence, Tsang weaves playfulness and wit into her examination of serious themes. Her mural will feature exaggerated forms, expressive brushwork, and directional linework to convey movement, emotion, and psychological tension. Working with ceramics, rice paper, and textiles, she reclaims space, both physically and conceptually, questioning norms surrounding domesticity, repression, and womanhood.
Sami Tsang’s work has gained international recognition, establishing her as a significant voice in contemporary ceramics and sculpture. She has participated in prestigious residencies, including the 7th International Artist Retreat and Residency in Anhui, China, and the Harbourfront Centre Residency in Toronto. Her work has been exhibited at leading art fairs such as Art Toronto and EXPO Chicago, reinforcing her presence in both North American and global art markets.
