Layers of Memory, Traces of Time

Organized by The Bridge Arts Foundation, the "Urban Pulse" Open Call Exhibition is now on view at The Scholart Selection Gallery in San Gabriel, California, running through February 22, 2025.

As part of the exhibition, The Bridge Arts Foundation’s Art Director, Tia Xu, sat down with several participating artists to discuss their creative process and artistic vision. In this interview, we are delighted to feature a conversation with artist Debbie Hu Ricks.

—— Q&A ——

Tia Xu: Could you please share your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in art?

Various works in progress in the studio, 2020. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Debbie Hu Ricks: My name is Debbie Hu Ricks. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. I’ve lived in different parts of Los Angeles for most of my life, from the San Gabriel Valley to the Westside. I spent three years of my childhood in Hong Kong which was culture shock coming from Los Angeles but also a very enlightening period of my life. I was always very much into drawing but the time in Asia really exposed me to anime and manga from Japan. I immersed myself in drawing and constructing model robots out of paper. My Dad was a software engineer and my Mom is very much into art and music. I think this combination inspired me to pursue an education in architecture. Ultimately, I think all of these influences allow me to express my experiences and feelings in a visual process and format.

Debbie Hu Ricks, *From Silverlake*, 2024, Paper, acrylic, found material on gesso panel, 18 x 18 x 1.5 in. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Tia Xu: What does "Urban Pulse" mean to you, and how does your artwork explore this theme? Can you tell us the story behind your artwork from the exhibition?

Debbie Hu Ricks: “URBAN PULSE” is really about the heartbeat and rhythm of the collective human experience. We gravitate towards a social experience. Even in moments of solitude, people seek to document those moments and share them in literature, poetry, music, photography, and art. The urban environment is created by the social intersection of different cultures and experiences. My body of work is inspired by these intersections.

The foundation of my painting comes from a traditional perspective of the landscape. “From Silverlake” is a view of the Griffith Observatory from my studio on the eastern side of Silverlake reservoir. From there, the process takes on a very experiential and reactive expression, combining collage, adding and removing material from the canvas, spray paint, and graphics. I think the whole of this process reflects the many intersections of the influences in my work, much like an urban landscape. The painting itself is an exploration of memory and how it changes an image over time, how certain aspects gain clarity while other facets recede. The interruption of the landscape by the pink masses was introduced during the pandemic and continues to have a place in my work. These objects come from an emotional space.

Tia Xu: How does your cultural background influence your art?

Debbie Hu Ricks: Growing up I was really fascinated with comic books. My early exposure to comics made me view art as a form of storytelling. When I was living in Hong Kong, comics and graphic novels were even more important because I couldn’t read Chinese. I would try to decipher the storyline solely based on the pictures. My early drawings were organized like frames from a comic book page, a series of line drawings in storyboard format. Comic books and graphic novels from the U.S. and Asia really influenced my interest in drawing. Narrative is a common aspect of my artwork.

Close-up work in progress of “Melt 3.0”, 2022. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Tia Xu: What materials and techniques do you prefer to use in your art, and could you explain your choices?

Debbie Hu Ricks: I explore memory and the passage of time in my current body of work. Part of how memory is formed is through reflection, and that process sometimes brings clarity to certain aspects of a memory while also deteriorating other parts of the same memory. I use different types of paper on my canvas because the material is easily manipulated. My process includes sanding and tearing the paper while also preserving the different layers on the canvas. I also work with a range of Golden acrylic mediums. These mediums allows me to manipulate and define the level of visual clarity.

Tia Xu: Are there any artists or art movements that have had a significant influence on your work? If so, why?

Debbie Hu Ricks: I have a long list of artists that I admire and respect. I don’t know that any of these artists directly influence my work, but they definitely inspire and motivate me. I spend a lot of time observing graffiti during my commute. I think we are able to view art in museums and galleries and it’s a very intentional experience but out of its original context. Graffiti and murals are a part of our environment, part of the fabric of our city. This aesthetic plays a part in my artwork.

I recently had the opportunity to observe a painting called “Still Breathing” by Ilana Savdie. The work is powerful and provocative, dynamic viewed from both a distance and up close. It’s these types of moments that inspire me to question whether I’m pushing limits and taking enough risks in my work.

The Bridge Arts Foundation's "Urban Pulse" Open Call Exhibition Installation View, Photo: ©The Bridge Arts Foundation / Luna Hao

ABOUT OPEN CALL EXHIBITION PROGRAM

Bridge Arts Foundation's Open Call Exhibition Program is committed to supporting emerging artists by providing them with opportunities to showcase their work. "Urban Pulse" features 16 outstanding artists selected from over 100 submissions through a rigorous jury process involving art professionals. This exhibition runs from January 20th to February 22nd, 2025, at The Scholart Selection Gallery, offering a dynamic exploration of the energy, complexity, and human connections within urban spaces.

ABOUT ARTIST

Debbie Hu Ricks was born in Los Angeles, California in 1969. She received her B.S., Architectural Studies from the University of Southern California. Hu Ricks has primarily exhibited in group shows in California after participating in the Santa Monica College Art Mentor program.

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