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Artist to Watch: Chemin Hsao 蕭喆旻

- Aware the living moment

Chemin Hsiao created a series of drawings in the pandemic period in which the face mask has become an essential element of our daily life. It is by turns melancholic, ironic, witty, and reflective.

Chemin Hsiao's drawings made during the recent pandemic bring in a light sadness of mind. "Koi Nobori" is the Japanese fish windsock traditionally used to wish success to children. Hsaioi has updated this banner to fit these quarantine times. Continuing in an even more hopeful vein is "Reborn" which features new growth and regeneration on the back of a tortoise, which may represent longevity and auspiciousness. "Black Rain" seems to comment on the Black Lives Matter movement and celebrate the fact that it is gaining greater weight. While "Barber Shop" is more lighthearted and reminiscent of the gentle mockery apparent in his Mask series. These whimsical drawings, such as "Wilson", seem to characterize the artist's personal response to the shade of this period of restraint, and Hsaio's discourse about the awareness of living. In his previous series, the artist faithfully captured images of subway passengers and the homeless to document his commute. Taking a different tack, his series of "Journey to the West" paintings caught the immigrant experience by populating fantastical scenes with characters from classical literature. As a young artist, he has shown diligence, endurance, and consistency.

Title: Reborn Year: 2020 Medium: Acrylic Pigment on Wooden Barricades Dimensions: 8 ft x 8 ft

Title: Piety Year: 2020 Medium: Watercolor on Paper Dimensions: 11” x 15”

Chemin Hsiao (蕭喆旻, Taiwanese American) is a visual artist based in Queens and Brooklyn (Chashama Studio Space), New York. Hsiao received his BFA and MFA from the School of Visual Arts. He was a recipient of New Work Grant (2017 & 2019) and ArtSite Public Art Commissioning (2018) from Queens Council on the Arts.

left: Barber Shop middle: Koi Nobori right: Repay Year: 2020 Medium: Watercolor on Paper Dimensions: 15” x 11”

Since 2019, Hsiao has completed several commissioned public murals for the Queens community including Jackson Heights (82nd Street Partnership), Elmhurst Sculpture Park (RPGA Studio), Union Street in Flushing (Asian American Federation), and the SkyView Center in Flushing (ShopCore Properties). He has taken part in artist residencies at the Kingsbrae International Residence for the Arts in Canada, SU-CASA Residency in New York, and the Cuttyhunk Island Artist Residency in Massachusetts. He was selected as one of the ProjectArt resident artists in Windsor Park Library (Queens), one of the printmaking scholarship recipients at ManhattanGraphic Center, and a fellow at the ARTWorks, Inc. program supported by the Jerome Foundation at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning. He also participated in the 2016 Immigrant Artist Program at the New York Foundation for the Arts.

Title: Wilson Year: 2020 Medium: Watercolor on Paper Dimensions: 11” x 15”

Title: Angels Year: 2020 Medium: Watercolor on Paper Dimensions: 11” x 15”

Title: Island Year: 2020 Medium: Watercolor on Paper Dimensions: 9” x 12”

Title: Solitary Exercise Year: 2020 Medium: Watercolor on Paper Dimensions: 11” x 15”

Title: Comfort Year: 2020 Medium: Watercolor on Paper Dimensions: 9” x 12”

Artist Statement

In my artwork, I want to capture personal emotions toward subjects or atmosphere,via the elusive connections from my memories and cultural background. I sit with plants, animals and the surroundings in time, moment by moment, and let myself be unconsciously revealed from the process of painting. Seeking for such a silent moment when one could totally emerge into mindful actions and forget oneself, I would like to hear my inner voice truthfully this way. 

The paintings might be motivated by a pattern or shadow on the snow which reminds me of my first winter in New York City, or by a group of robins flying from branch to branch in the trees, or by something else that I observe. Such a visual stimulus during the creative process may propel me to take the picture in a completely different direction than I had originally planned. This organic process allows me to construct each image with time molding the possibilities for the final visuals.

The method of watercolor painting serves as instant emotion recorders for specific locations, events, people or emotional memories. Via woodblock or silkscreen printmaking techniques, I transform the watercolor painting images into editions of prints, and experiment with new compositions of the visual ideas.

Title: Reborn Year: 2020 Medium: Acrylic Pigment on Wooden Barricades Dimensions: 8 ft x 8 ft

Reborn display at the Skyview Center, Flushing, NYC