Due to a slip of the doctor's hand during her birth, Hwang was born with cerebral palsy -- a permanent physical condition that affects movement. Unable to control her muscles, Hwang's childhood was spent "like a blob of soft mud on the floor or on the bed," she said.
She could not talk, drooled non-stop, and after seeing her crawl around, a neighbor said, "This child belongs in a circus." Not only that, she was often bullied by other children who threw rocks and punched her.
Her parents prayed for her everyday, and by elementary school, Hwang was able to take her first steps. In second grade, a teacher at school discovered Hwang's talent and encouraged her to continue drawing.
At the age of 14, Hwang's family emigrated to Los Angeles. "At first, I did not like LA, because some of my classmates at school hit me," Hwang said. "They hit me even though they were disabled, too. I went to a school for the disabled."
But Hwang studied hard, learning English within the first three years and was accepted at East Los Angeles College, majoring in art with a minor in psychology. "I was very happy during my college life," she said. "I like psychology because I like to probe the depths of the human mind and see how or why people behave."
Hwang then moved on to graduate school and obtained a doctorate from the California State University in Los Angeles.
Her first art show was held in Los Angeles in 1988, featuring abstract oil paintings.
"I get inspirations from books, poetry and nature," she said. "My paintings are like my children."
Another popular story about May Hwang was when she is giving a speech via writings on the board. A student ask her if she hated herself due to her condition and how she look at herself. She wrote on the board
I'm cute
I've got nice legs
My parent love me
God love me
I can draw
etc....
At the end of the board, she wrote "I look at what I have and I don't look at what I don't have". This is her philosophy.
Other Links in Chinese
http://web.nehs.hc.edu.tw/newsletter/307/people.html
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/herrykevin/4557684
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/williamtwwilliamtw/article?mid=3991&prev=4028&l=f&fid=5
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