Vissy by Pat Hoffie

Visaya Hoffie is a Queensland based artist who graduated with a BFA from QCAD, Griffith University. Trained as a painter, her work often engages a range of different media including sculpture, painting, printmaking, embroidery and assemblage.

She is also the artist’s daughter. This portrait was painted just before Visaya left to travel once more to New York, to study.

Her expression is alert and full of trepidation. Holding her mobile phone in both hands she looks directly out at us but there is a sense that we have interrupted her thoughts. She appears distracted by what lies ahead.

“Although portraits, even self portraits, always reflect an artist/sitter experience, this painting reflects not only a mother/daughter relationship, but also an artist to artist exchange.”

“The look-back of youthful defiance seems to reverse the traditional direction of scrutiny, as if to challenge the artistic authority of the artist making the work. The subject’s simultaneous vulnerability and defiance is made more complex by the inclusion of a portion of one of her own works – a stitched flag featuring a small vagabond homie under the words, on the run.”

Visaya’s own work merges high art references to those of popular culture. Her small, grim reaper like figure, is both amusing and disturbing.

The portrait is titled ‘Vissy’ referencing the close relationship between mother and daughter.