Untitled Food Chronicles the artist’s memories of growing up in Beijing through a table filled with foods, flowers, fruits, porcelain vessels, and other objects drawn from my cultural background. A shared table is one of the most universal expressions of welcome: it invites conversation, curiosity, and connection. By bringing together a variety of objects and traditions in a single space, Camellia wanted to explore how food can open doors to new experiences, encourage people to try unfamiliar things, and create opportunities for community.
At the center of the composition are two contrasting hands: one reaches toward the table while the other responds with a defiant middle finger. These opposing gestures explore the tension between openness and rejection, welcome and resistance. While gathering around a table offers the possibility of connection, it also requires vulnerability and the willingness to reach across differences and engage with others.
For the artist, “Open Doors, Open Hearts” is about embracing that possibility. The table becomes a place where people can encounter new cultures, perspectives, and relationships through the simple act of sharing food. Even when connection is not guaranteed, extending an invitation can spark understanding and new forms of togetherness that strengthen our communities.
About the Artist
Camellia Liu is an artist, researcher, and medical student whose work explores connections across cultures, disciplines, and ways of seeing. Raised between Portland, Oregon, and Beijing, China, she developed an early fascination with how identity is shaped through both tradition and change.
Camellia studied art and psychobiology at UCLA, focusing on graphite and charcoal drawing, oil painting, and a senior capstone that integrated traditional Chinese painting media with Western oil-painting techniques. She is now pursuing a medical degree at OHSU. Whether through art, science, or patient care, Camellia is interested in opening doors between cultures, media, and communities. Her work reflects a belief that meaningful connection begins with curiosity, compassion, and a willingness to bridge differences.
Untitled Food Chronicles the artist’s memories of growing up in Beijing through a table filled with foods, flowers, fruits, porcelain vessels, and other objects drawn from my cultural background. A shared table is one of the most universal expressions of welcome: it invites conversation, curiosity, and connection. By bringing together a variety of objects and traditions in a single space, Camellia wanted to explore how food can open doors to new experiences, encourage people to try unfamiliar things, and create opportunities for community.
At the center of the composition are two contrasting hands: one reaches toward the table while the other responds with a defiant middle finger. These opposing gestures explore the tension between openness and rejection, welcome and resistance. While gathering around a table offers the possibility of connection, it also requires vulnerability and the willingness to reach across differences and engage with others.
For the artist, “Open Doors, Open Hearts” is about embracing that possibility. The table becomes a place where people can encounter new cultures, perspectives, and relationships through the simple act of sharing food. Even when connection is not guaranteed, extending an invitation can spark understanding and new forms of togetherness that strengthen our communities.
About the Artist
Camellia Liu is an artist, researcher, and medical student whose work explores connections across cultures, disciplines, and ways of seeing. Raised between Portland, Oregon, and Beijing, China, she developed an early fascination with how identity is shaped through both tradition and change.
Camellia studied art and psychobiology at UCLA, focusing on graphite and charcoal drawing, oil painting, and a senior capstone that integrated traditional Chinese painting media with Western oil-painting techniques. She is now pursuing a medical degree at OHSU. Whether through art, science, or patient care, Camellia is interested in opening doors between cultures, media, and communities. Her work reflects a belief that meaningful connection begins with curiosity, compassion, and a willingness to bridge differences.
