Some of us spend the month before our 30th birthday brooding on the inexorable march of time and the irretrievability of our youth. With “30 Flirty + Thriving,” Chicago-based visual artist Caroline Liu has channeled the angst of aging to more productive ends by pairing with 30 different artists to create as many collaborations in the month preceding her 30th birthday. The collaborating artists span the states and range in media from music to street art to tattoos and beyond. While Liu’s vivid colors, repeating patterns and exceptional gift for realistic representation are in evidence, she leaves ample room for her collaborators’ unique visions.
Memorializing life’s junctures is an especially important practice for Liu, who, in 2012, suffered irreparable short-term memory loss after a solid wood door fell directly on her head. Her artistic practice thus became more than a means for self-expression, it became a form of therapy geared towards holding onto memories that she would otherwise lose.
“30 Flirty + Thriving” opens at Riverwest’s After Gallery with a reception 7-11 p.m., Friday, Dec. 8. The exhibition is on display through Feb. 8.
