I explore the delicate interplay between reality and fantasy through the medium of sculpture, employing materials to challenge the familiar and expand our perception of the reality. This body of work serves as a surreal reflection on societal norms, where the familiar is deconstructed and reassembled to challenge perceptions and provoke thought. Each sculpture is a portal into a fantasy world, questioning the boundaries of the human form and its societal roles, providing a mirror to the often-unspoken hierarchies and dynamics that shape our interactions and understanding of each other. I aim to invite viewers into a dreamlike state where they can explore the underlying narratives of power, vulnerability, and identity that influence our lives and relationships. This exploration is not just an artistic endeavor but a personal journey that draws from my own experiences and observations. Though personal narratives and broader cultural motifs, my work invites audiences to traverse a landscape that is both alien and deeply resonant, prompting a reflection on each individual within the web of social construction.
Metaphors, relating to adults and children, with recurrent fantastic or fantasy or surreal figures happened in my work;They symbolize the collapse of a child’s world and the forceful predatory nature of adults. My work suggests violence and threat. Traits of innocence, playfulness, intensity, and aggression coexist simultaneously in the artwork, reflecting the complex, yet immature, inner worlds of children. These characteristics are intricately and uniquely blended to highlight the nuanced experiences of youth within society.
I balance abstraction and figuration, employing colors, shapes, textures, and material combinations that evoke both familiar and alien associations. It almost feels like a fictional universe of human forms where societal roles become re-examined in an alternate dimension. The fragmentation and oddity in my pieces. generates scenarios that might seem violent or cruel and could be found draped in the gossamer of fantasy dreamscapes. My work blurs reality, exploring how surreal settings can mask the harshness of actual events, critiquing underlying societal norms.
Humor is present to some extent in each of my pieces, serving as a counterbalance to the weight and seriousness of the themes. I seek for a harmonious balance between humor, the grotesque, and solemnity. It alleviates some of the pressure viewers might feel when engaging with my work. Given that my pieces often explore themes of feminism, violence, and the grotesque—subjects that are inherently serious and not typically associated with laughter—viewers might initially react with humor to the surface elements. However, upon reflection, they may question whether it is appropriate to laugh, adding a layer of complexity to their interaction with the art. Secondly, most of my pieces are suspended. Vertically hanging my work creates an immersive environment that makes viewers feel small, as if they are enveloped by the artwork. This perspective shift transforms an adult’s normal view to that of a child’s, offering a fresh perspective on the world.
The materials I used in my work are rich in their elemental association to human/body existence. Often indirectly, the thesis work references human bodies and experiences, delving into themes of family, belonging, protection, femininity, motherhood, and insecurity — all within the context of the theoretical and visual realms of surrealism, fantasy, and mythology. Sculptural elements representing body are disembodied, and assembled to create dreamlike worlds that act as peculiar mirrors reflecting societal dynamics.
Felted wool play a significant role in my works, they evoke a sense of gentleness and protection, reminiscent of the deep bond between a mother and her child. As a utilitarian material widely used in clothing, wool inherently carries characteristics of utility, warmth, softness, and comfort. I leverage these attributes in my sculptures, while also introducing elements that diverge from everyday life, creating a sense of reality that is simultaneously detached, fostering a dissociative experience for the viewer.
Louise Bourgeois and Mona Hatoum have been in an inspiration for my current body of work. Louise Bourgeois’s use of soft dolls to depict childhood trauma, transforming objects that typically symbolize protection, innocence, and joy to represent the darker aspects of the adult world. My inspiration from Mona Hatoum derived from her contemplation of the living environment and expressed feelings of insecurity and uncertainty through her work, her exploration of the relationship between sculpture and the body and, her exploration of dualism. Theoretically, Julia Kristeva’s analysis of abjection has been an important framework for my practice. I chose to focus on the deconstruction of familiar elements of the human body as I encourage viewers to perceive these subjects from an objectified perspective.
Qian Shen 