‘Excavating Hung Liu’s Archive: The Refusal of Historical Erasure’ by Dorothy Moss ’95

Born in China and emigrated to the United States in 1984, Hung Liu (1948-2021) actively engaged her complex history and journey in her artistic practices, creating paintings and artworks that operate like archaeological sites. This talk reveals how Hung Liu juxtaposed ancient literary sources imagery from Buddhism, Chinese mythology, European literature, modern Chinese political history, acupuncture charts, and children’s books with new forms and materials. As an artist whose work was rooted in archival inquiry, Liu remembered, honored, and criticized her homeland while challenging and expanding the notion of a painter.

Dorothy Moss ’95

The Hung Liu Estate appointed Dorothy Moss as its founding director in 2023, following over ten years as a curator of painting and sculpture at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. During her tenure at the Portrait Gallery, Dr. Moss curated critically-acclaimed exhibitions and produced award-winning scholarship, including the 2021 exhibition and publication Hung Liu: Portraits of Promised Lands. She expanded the popular reach and critical reception of contemporary portraiture through her direction of the 2013, 2016, and 2019 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competitions, her founding of the museum's popular IDENTIFY performance art series, and her work on key acquisitions, including the commission of Amy Sherald's portrait of Michelle Obama.

Dr. Moss holds a Ph.D. in art history from University of Delaware. Additionally, she earned an MA in art history from Williams College and a BA in art history and English language and literature from Smith College.

Sponsored by the Kahn Liberal Arts Institute and the Smith College Museum of Arts as part of the short-term project, “Excavating the Image: Dispersed Connections.”