Ziui Chen

I have come to believe and address affection as a chaotic force, urging us to seek the good or hurt of others. I am interested in understanding affections as an embodied experience that defines the most hidden acts as meaningful. Curiously, I lean towards asking what space is safe for us to show affection? And how might even the most minuscule of an outwardly flickering finger translate to inner emotions? My work on affections focuses on the power dynamics of women, particularly the perceptions of their body and identity amongst themselves, and the empowerment of Asian women by transforming biased judgments in public life into nuanced gestures between subjects in a painting. The most notable characteristic of the recent paintings is the ungrounded sense of personal space. I am displacing both the audience and the subjects as I believe the absence of gravity intensifies the voyeuristic feeling in observing the chaos of their engagement.

Click here to see the press release for the "Lucky 13" group exhibition.

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