Taidekeskus Itä
Valtakatu 66, Lappeenranta
ti-pe 11-17
la 11-14
It is an interaction between objects and myself: my work is focused on variation and transformation of endless forms by continued use of the same artifact as a basic module. Revealing subtle layers of imperfection through painting, sanding, separating and combining.
The exhibition presents a study of snow: it’s transitory, loose, powdery, wraps objects in its embrace and is filled with human imprints. I moved from the warm tropics to the snowy north where it snows for half a year. Before moving, I had countless imaginations about snow: I thought the texture of snow was as fluffy as feather or marshmallow until I found my car buried in a pile of solid snow. When the winter arrived, my skin forgot about the humid heatwave of summer; when the winter left, I could barely remember the sharpness of the wind blowing on my face. I kept recalling those massive plants in tropical Asia during the last long winter, attempting to remember the heat of my hometown in a hot bath. Part of my tropical nostalgia is also represented in the exhibition: sugar cane and bamboo. I embraced the present moment by creating an abstract replica of snow-covered objects, in case forgetfulness of the snowy and slushy scene emerges when the spring comes.
Bio
Originally from the south of China, Suyu Chen is currently living and working in Rochester, NY after graduation from the MFA program at Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, NY). Her works are inspired by her personal experiences of living in different places and relationships of her cultural background. Through repetitive experimental explorations of alternative materials and fine metal practices, her works got unique consequences and forms. Suyu received a BA from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, China, majoring in Decorative Arts and Design in 2015. She also studied at RISD (Providence, RI) and Kunstuniversität Linz (Linz, Austria). Suyu has exhibited her works nationally and internationally.
