Artists

Photo Credit: NIU Chun-Chiang

CHANG Yu-Chia

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CHANG Yu-Chia

Location USA / Massachusetts
Residency Contemporary Arts International (CAI)
Year of the Grant 2012
Work WOODY WOODY (solo exhibition)
Personal Website CHANG Yu-Chia's Personal Website
CHANG Yu-Chia's Personal Website
CHANG Yu-Chia, born in Taipei, 1983. He is graduated from Master Program, Dept. of Art in National Changhua University of Education. He was resident artist in Stock 20 in 2009-2011. Then he went to Contemporary Arts International near Boston for residency in 2012. His works are kept in the collection of National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung City Seaport Art Center, and National Art Bank.

Artist Statement: WOODY WOODY:







WOODY WOODY originated from works created during my 6-month residency at Contemporary Arts International, Boston sponsored by the Taiwan Ministry of Culture in 2012. This series is different from my previous creations in Taiwan. My earlier works carry a cold and technological tonality. This tendency shifted during my residency at CAI and, influenced by the local environment and culture, I started on my new series. WOODY WOODY was inspired by the open natural environment and its theme was constructed by the living experiences and interpersonal relationships. I continued with this strand of thought still after returning to Taiwan.



The idea for the presentation of this series comes from a big wooden bookshelf that I made for myself in the CAI studio. Lumber materials were very accessible and of good quality there. I began using wood in my everyday making. Whenever there was new work being made, I would put it on the big wooden bookshelf. At first I thought it looked nice all together. Then I realized that my pieces were of similar scale as ordinary books. The bookshelf for displaying my work became almost like a stage on which my pieces became characters for performance of unlimited possibilities. A later project in Taiwan, Mythology in the Study Room, was inspired from this realization.



Through WOODY WOODY, I wanted to rekindle my audience’s affection for simplicity in candid materials as well as in the handmade process. I noticed the popularity of new media art and the detachment of modern day people’s lives from books and study rooms. Therefore, I hoped to bring warmth back to the hearts that have become cold from detachment and indifference in our urban life. This feeling of warmness was exactly what I wanted to bring back to Taiwan after my residency.

Luckily, I successfully made a new series during my residency in America. Perhaps the new work was only a small beginning to something else, but I was still happy about freeing myself of my old practices. I was completely clueless about what to do and make after my military service. Then, I did not pay much attention to how the environment shaped an artist either. After arriving in America, however, I found myself inspired by the climate, geography, and natural environment of the area in which I was living. My everyday experiences there changed the way I worked and became the new groundwork for my new series. Many new ideas even came from my time spent on public transportations. I believe that the ‘nutrients’ for my new work really came from the US, a refreshing country for my development due to its environment, its people, its culture, etc. that motivated my creativity. I found my energy and passion for making art once again through this residency.