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.
