Twice as Hard, Half as Much

wice as hard, half as much brings together a body of work that recalls lessons taught to the artist by her mother and reinforced by American society. The exhibition examines the impact of the Cultural Revolution and the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 on her parents’ narratives and, consequently, her own. Through sculpture, installation, textiles, and photography, the artist explores the transfer of paranoia and anxiety from parent to child. The works tangle early life occurrences with the artist’s recent past, expressing how these lessons have permeated every aspect of her life.

MARINA PENG is a multimedia installation artist. She received her BFA from Washington University in St. Louis in 2017. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at spaces including 50/50 (Kansas City, MO), ACRE Projects (Chicago, IL), Open House (Kansas City, MO), The Luminary, Granite City Art and Design District, and Flood Plain. She has attended residencies at ACRE, Caldera Arts, Elsewhere, OTIS College of Art & Design, and Paul Artspace. Recent awards include a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant, a Futures Fund grant, and a Vermont Studio Center Fellowship. In addition to her practice, she is a co-organizer of Public Service Announcement:, a public art site located in the Marine Villa neighborhood of St. Louis.