Artists
Photo Credit: NIU Chun-Chiang
SU Shu-Mei
SU Shu-Mei
| Location | USA / Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| Residency | 18th Street Arts Center |
| Year of the Grant | 2006 |
| Work | Fertility Series |
Artist Statement:
I followed my previous method of creation and used clay sculpture as the medium for my artwork at 18th Street Arts Center. I also applied a few other interesting materials that I discovered during this residency into my creation.
I made a few small clay objects every day, as if writing a diary. I then applied some mechanisms for installation to group these objects together, resulting in a body of work titled ‘Fertility.’ Fertility illustrates birth and reproduction. New processes of creation were developed in Fertility due to studio limitations as compared to my studio in Taiwan. I was surprised and pleased by these changes, and I incorporated the feelings I had for this work environment into my art.
18th Street Arts Center is an international arts residency program. Thousands of artists from different disciplines have visited the center in the past twenty years, including painters, writers, sculptors, photographers, and performance artists. These artists come from all over the world. I had the opportunity to meet artists from USA, Japan, Australia, Czech Republic, Germany, and Sweden. Open Studio events were held every three months. Many art lovers, as well as professionals from the field came and exchanged their ideas.
I worked hard during my residency and found that my physical capacity grew at a surprising rate, but it seemed as if time was never enough. I had to document everything, while keeping up with creating more work. The documentation became a record of my growth, as well as a reference for my future work.