Crescent Cheng 
b. 1993 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Based in Highland Park, Los Angeles

Crescent Cheng paints environments from her walks in LA and Honolulu. Primarily working with oil on paper and other natural materials, she is focused on listening to the dialogue between her inner and outer world. Her work is centered around the questions: 

• How does art connect us to the environment?

• How do we experience nature, particularly in cities? 

• How does our relationship with our environment point us toward healing and sustainability, individually and collectively?

Statement
Lately, my paintings focus on nature & landscape as metaphors for describing life experiences and guiding our next steps. I first learned to see nature as metaphor, and about the importance of our connection to the land, through hula & Hawaiian music. Over the years, my perception of our environment and my place within it was also influenced by what I studied in school (psychology, then environmental law), and part of what motivates me is the chance to see the interplay of humans+nature through different lenses. We all have our own way of relating to the world around us, which is both innate and changeable. I think the more we value this relationship and cultivate it, the more aware, connected, and empowered we become.