Most people have a happy childhood, and childhood happiness often comes from small toys or snacks of little value. However, as we grow up, we become more demanding of money and material things. When we can afford to buy higher-value items, we lose the ability to be happy. Most of these small toys and snacks, which were of little value but brought joy to our childhood, slowly faded into the recesses of our memories.

Our brain’s memory is fuzzy and fluid, and pieces of childhood memories can change or forget over time. In this set of small oil paintings inspired by childhood toys and snacks, I try to recall the small items that brought me joy in my childhood and express the remembered objects in the form of paintings. The white backgrounds are specific fragments and details lost in my memory. I do not remember when these toys and food items appeared. The objects are like the “memory table,” helping us recall beautiful childhood moments.

Xuanyi Rosamond Wang was born in Tianjin, China. After completing her studies at Tianjin University, she began creating digital art and devoted her energy to editing and publishing art books. In addition, she created web-acclaimed comics and published various best-selling children’s books. Xuanyi came to the United States in 2012. She received her B.F.A. from Bowling Green State University and her M.F.A. from the University of Louisville. She was awarded a Graduate Teaching Assistantship as a teaching assistant. She started as an adjunct instructor at Owens Community College in the fall semester of 2022, balancing teaching with painting. In 2018, Xuanyi participated in a mural painting project at the Nature History Museum in the Toledo Zoo, undertaken by Graphite Design + Build and Natalie Lanese. Her oil paintings have been selected for many international and national art exhibitions and have won several awards in art competitions, including The Best of Show in The Lakeland Art Guild 50th Annual Melvin Gallery, 2022; The Best in Show in The Virtual Art Show Gallery, 2022; Medici Circle Cup Best of Show at Bowling Green State University, 2018; Arts Council People’s Choice Award in NOWOH 2017; The Bev Fisher Award in Findlay Art League Fall Show 2017, etc.

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