ROY presents: Sky Dai

A Way Out

A raw egg hanging from a tree branch, a minivan set on fire, rainbow figures huddled around a birthday cake — my large scale oil paintings address traumatic memory and recovery, queer relationships, and adventures in the astral realm, spawning vibrant and fantastical worlds. To create more interactive environments, my paintings have transformed into three-dimensional form through ceramic installations, sculpture, improvisational dance performance, and multi-disciplinary murals. Inspired by how traumatic stress causes the brain to collage fragments of memory, my work reflects my emotional process — unraveling repressed memories and contemplating what could be — often set within the dimension of the childhood home I fled from. As an act of reprocessing, I rewrite my narrative within a whimsical world where harsh memories become less distressing — fathers are painted as punching bags, an empty dollhouse as a holder for lost memories, and a series of lumpy ladder sculptures made of dog hair, pantyhose, or aquaresin symbolize an escape route.

ROY talked with Sky Saturday, February 13 at 2:30pm. Missed the Zoom? Click here to watch the full discussion on YouTube!