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Edmund Liang

Purple Pansies Print

Purple Pansies Print

I was an excellent target for bullying as a teenager. I was Asian, skinny, and gay. And like everyone else, I tried hard to fit in with little success. Thank goodness those years are over; nobody can pay me enough to relive them. LOL.

Childhood was a terrifying time for gay youth like myself. So for Pride 2023, I wanted to create something to commemorate having survived it—a piece that's a marker of resistance, strength, and triumph in our early lives.

The symbolism explained:

1. The color purple. Before Gilbert Baker's iconic rainbow flag, purple symbolized resistance and power amongst western queer communities. It is why I assigned purple as the painting's dominant hue due to its historical and cultural significance.

2. The pansy flowers. For those unfamiliar, calling someone a pansy means calling them "a weak, effeminate, and often cowardly individual (mostly targeting gay men)." Otherwise, pansies are more popularly known as bold and beautiful garden flowers. The irony, right? In this the context of this illustration, the purple pansies represent the strong and defiant gay individuals who were bullied growing up.

3. The bouquet vs. single flower. Representing "strength in numbers." The gaze of flowers towards the viewer was designed to resemble those same bullied individuals now standing together as an alliance, watching each others' backs, supporting one another in the face of danger. We are never truly alone in our battles.

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Want signed custom size prints? Scroll down below!

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Signed Collector's Edition Prints

If you'd like a custom-sized hand-signed print of any of my pieces, look no further. Unlike the standard prints, these custom prints are printed on thick archival 100% cotton rag fine art papers using archival inks. If you're curious about the paper and ink spec, see below!

Otherwise, if this sounds like what you're looking for, shoot me an email or message on Instagram and let's chat! 😍

  • How It Works

    Standard & custom prints are made only when orders are placed. So when you place an order, my printing partner and I will be notified. Once your order is processed, my printing partner will package and ship your products to you. I love this method because it avoids overproduction which reduces environmental waste! Easy-peasy. Standard prints are not hand-signed.

    If you'd like to place an order for a signed custom print or ask about how it custom prints work? See above!

  • Print Borders

    Unless otherwise specified, standard prints come with a minimum border of approximately .5in (1.27cm).

    Borders help with the matting and framing process. It also helps prevent finger prints or accidents from damaging the actual print area.

  • Paper Quality & Specs

    Standard Prints
    Prints are on thick and durable museum quality paper.
    Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
    Paper weight: 192 gsm
    Finish: Smooth Matte

    Signed Fine Art Prints
    Archival Ultrachrome HDR inks printed on archival, thick, museum-grade, 100% cotton rag, fine art papers.
    Paper thickness: 19 mil
    Paper weight: 255 gsm
    Finish: Textured Matte (like watercolor)

    Learn More About Signed Prints 

  • Return Policy

    All sales are final. Size exchanges will not be covered in the return policy as items are made on demand. Requesting a size exchange, for example, would mean producing an entirely new product.

    If your product arrives damaged/mislabeled, please share with me via email a detailed description of the issue, large and clear photos showcasing the problem, and your order number. That way I can immediately look into your order and contact my manufacturer. Orders after 30 days of purchase date will not be covered by return policy.

    Email Me Here 

Plastic-free packaging.

Your prints will be packed and ship the artwork in plastic-free recyclable paper tubes—as opposed to the conventional paper tubes with plastic caps. Any way to reduce our single-use footprint is a win for me!