Mind Set Art Center is pleased to present Shiau-Peng Chen Archives from March 1 to April 4. Comprehensive works throughout 2012-2013, including one painting set and three print sets, will be deployed in the exhibition. Painting and printing are also two major media in Chen’s works. Born in Penhu, Taiwan, Shiau-Peng Chen (1976-) spent years in the States and Australia on art studies after her graduation in Taipei National University of the Arts. In terms of abstract painters, Chen’s work is more conceptual. Those simple lines and geometric symbols stand for actual incidents in associated with the artist herself. Unlike most abstractionists who concentrate on probing variety and advance of forms, she takes abstraction as a life processor and involves her life experience into her artistic practice. She represents her thoughts and contemplation with the use of style transformation and writing, meanwhile, exploring the achievement and imagination of being an artist. The works can be viewed as the artist personal files and documents from her youth to middle age.
My Galleries: Are they all the same? is a set of work that Chen innovated a recognition system to review the path of her artist’s life. Words and color concepts in Now and Then retrieve from the memories of her school days in foreign countries. Or it’s more like a joint. This work especially correlates closely with her writing experience at that time. Chen always respects and feels curious about artist who is good at processing characters and images. Therefore, Xu Bing Is My Good Friend was made to salute her favorite Chinese artist Xu Bing. Furthermore, by rearranging and combining characters and images, she builds up an intriguing connection between herself and certain artists in Malevich, Xu and Chen. Three different artists from different places and time mentally become closer and able to communicate with each other within the work.
Shiau-Peng Chen now is based in Taipei, Taiwan and currently teaches at National Taiwan University of Arts. Besides of conceptual abstract paintings, Chen also creates works with characters. She has developed a structure different to linear reading. Notes on Painting is a blog users can cut in by searching diverse keywords. As she wrote in the artist statement, “Specific, amplified, geometric, simplified, disciplined style principle and the use of color concept applied in my works change the meaning and function of the original signs and objects. Moreover, I makes a sign with primitive function on symbolizing “abstract again” as a response of new possibility to the history of geometric abstract painting.”
