Oliver Sin, Aunt Lau, vine charcoal, 17 x 14.
Visual storyteller Oliver Sin finds inspiration in people’s lives—and honor in sharing them through his vine charcoal portraiture. “I’m a messenger of emotion,” the San Francisco-based artist says humbly. Sin’s compassion shines through in AUNT LAU, a poignant drawing of an octogenarian he met during one of his frequent visits to a local senior center. Sin finds that some seniors initially balk at his interest in sketching them, self-conscious about their appearance or infirmities. Once they acquiesce, however, they often discover that a five- or 10-minute talk with a sketching stranger can be oddly liberating.
“Auntie Lau,” as Sin affectionately calls her, was a bit gruff and grumpy, staring out the center’s gathering room window while she and Sin talked, and he did a quick on-site sketch. The artist learned that Lau had been widowed and alone for years, and that the pandemic was exacerbating her feelings of loneliness. “We’ve all been dealing with loneliness during this time, but for some, it’s been more acute,” Sin says. “She said that she is ready to go.” That aching loneliness and stoic resignation are palpable in the light- and emotion-filled drawing on medium-textured paper. The surface accentuates the wrinkles on the face and the coarseness of the hair. The initial sketch and reference photos paved the way for the value-harmonized portrait.
“Auntie Lau inspired me with her story,” says Sin, an Academy of Art University teacher and graduate. “Sketching is one way for me to communicate, to know a person’s story.” It’s also a way for the artist to share his subjects’ life lessons with others. “I pass along the message that reaching out with a small gesture, such as a phone call or a knock on the door, can make a big difference in easing loneliness, especially for a senior like Auntie Lau.”
Find Sin’s work at www.instagram.com/oliversin. —Beth Williams
This story appeared in the December 2021/January 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.