The portrait of Chang Woo Gow made in 2017 by Pamela See is a papercut silhouette drawing on a pale pink background measuring 48.5 centimetres by 38.5 centimetres in its frame. Two black figures face the same direction presenting their right profile. A large white papercut flower floats in the space above them.
The flower lies on its side, a stem holding two large leaves and a full-blown peony. Delicate cuts in the paper allow the pink of the background to come through and indicate the veins on the leaves and the detail of the rose peony.
Directly below the flower and equal to its size is a small, seated woman. Her hair is in a neat bun and her arms are resting on the arms of the chair. Her long robe sweeps the floor and the fine legs of the chair extend out behind her.
At a slight distance from the seated woman stands a Chinese man, Chang Woo Gow, also in profile. His hair is drawn back in a long braid, and he is dressed in layered long robes. His right hand is stretched out towards his wife’s shoulder, but they do not touch. This creates an interesting negative shape between and around them. As she is seated, she appears to be half his size, emphasizing the radical difference in their height.
The black silhouettes seem to float in space, and the detail of the white papercut flower creates a well-balanced contrast in this work.
Audio description script written by Krysia Kitch and voiced by Kate Matthews