Exploring Material Culture: A Conversation with Liang-Jung Chen on Art, Identity, and Societal Narratives
CREDITS:
Illustration of Liang-Jung Chen by Maria Chen
All Artwork © Liang-Jung Chen
More work and videos here
In this CNTRFLD.ART conversation with Liang-Jung Chen, we explore the intricate world of the London-based Taiwanese artist and researcher. Liang-Jung’s multidisciplinary work spans drawing, objects, installation, and performance, driven by her deep exploration of material culture and anthropological study. Her practice examines the interactions between everyday objects and their users, uncovering the tensions embedded in these relationships. As an associate lecturer at Chelsea College of Arts and the founder of ii (Initial Initiatives) and Hardware Archive, Liang-Jung bridges art with societal and domestic narratives, merging conceptual depth with an approachable aesthetic. Her unique perspective as a diasporic Asian contemporary artist enriches her multifaceted approach, offering a thoughtful reflection on being a woman in the contemporary arts scene.
CNTRFLD. Can you tell us about the core themes and concepts that drive your artistic practice?
How did you come to focus on the interactions between everyday objects and their users?
LC. I have always been a sensitive and observant person who notices the details in the surroundings. My background in industrial design prompted me to think about the rationale behind how each everyday product is designed; to unpack an assembly of decisions the designer and the manufacturer make on every level. How our desire informs the creation of objects; how the object ultimately shapes our behaviour and forms the so-called civilisation. It’s sort of a chicken or egg question.
CNTRFLD. How does your upbringing and Taiwanese heritage influence your approach to art and research? Are there specific cultural elements that you incorporate into your work?
LC. Being Taiwanese is a bizarre experience. We are citizens of a country that doesn’t exist. The sense of insecurity and uncertainty is liberating and frustrating at the same time. It’s cool and sad. I find the tension intriguing and this ‘balancing act on the edges’ has been a recurring theme in my work.
CNTRFLD. As a diasporic Asian artist based in London, how do you navigate and integrate your cultural identity into your contemporary art practice? What challenges and opportunities have you met in this regard?
LC. It is always rewarding to live and work in another country where it offers opportunities for one to reflect on one’s culture in a different light. The distance in between is somehow necessary to facilitate contemplation like this.
A challenge I encountered is probably the communication style. Especially when I didn’t go to art school here in the UK, I struggled to contextualise my work and to talk the artspeak. However, gradually I have come to terms with it, the work will speak for itself and I am glad that my works have managed to resonate with a small part of the international audience here in the UK. That’s the charm of London, no matter how niche your craft is, there is a gang.
CNTRFLD. Your work often explores material culture and anthropological study. How do you select and interpret the artefacts and objects you work with, and what stories or insights are you hoping to reveal through them?
LC. The theme always comes fairly spontaneously. There is always so much going on in my brain, like a pool of abstract ideas swimming and mingling. When I am about to create a new piece of work, I withdraw the ideas to respond to an existing set of conditions. The final choice of the artefact or the material could be examined in different layers. Sometimes it is a comment on an institution’s politics, sometimes it comes down to the technical aspect like the accessibility of the specific material and fabrication technique.
CNTRFLD. Tell us more about ii (Initial Initiatives) and Hardware Archive. Can you describe your experience running these projects, and how these platforms contribute to your overall artistic vision and practice?
LC. Aside from my individual artistic practice where I allow myself to experiment and create freely, I also run two research-based platforms - Hardware Archive and ii (initial initiatives).
Hardware Archive collects industrially-manufactured household hardware items throughout history and across cultures that I find clever and interesting. The archive comes in handy when I am creating installations and sculptures and I hope it will do the same for other artists, architects, designers, engineers and more.
And ii (Initial Initiatives) contains everything else where I teach, curate, design, offer consultancy…and more. Mostly creative services that reach a wider crowd and help me to sustain my practice financially.
CNTRFLD. What role do you see art playing in the discourse around domestic narratives and societal structures? How does your work address or challenge these themes?
LC. I do believe a great piece of art can touch the soul, sharpen the mind and raise the questions that are relevant to the world we inhabit. Through my work, I invite the audience to reimagine the material culture today; to lead a more mindful lifestyle where we pay attention to detail and to rethink what we take for granted.
CNTRFLD. As an associate lecturer at Chelsea College of Arts, how do you balance your teaching responsibilities with your artistic endeavours? What insights from your teaching experience inform your own work?
LC. Teaching is a fantastic way to stay up to date. My students taught me to create with AI and introduced me to the mesmerising universe of TikTok. It is also a humbling experience working with international students of so many nationalities. I enjoy learning about their contextual research on specific phenomena in their own culture and somehow some of their research is stuck in my mind - blending into this dynamic idea swimming pool that I mentioned earlier. Everything is connected in one way or another - by exposing myself to such a diverse and bold community, my knowledge and thinking are expanded. It may then contribute to my practice in unexpected ways.
CNTRFLD. Could you share any details about your forthcoming projects or exhibitions? How do you envision these projects expanding or evolving from your earlier work?
LC. This year marks an important year for my practice as I completed the first ever institution commission at the V&A Museum in South Kensington. It is also of the largest scale of my work to date. The work is called “Regarding the retractability of boundaries”. The interactive installation is made of retractable barrier webbing system that could be seen everywhere in public spaces. While examining the boundaries in the public space, it also comments on my identity as a Taiwanese where the sense of border is strategically ambiguous and elastic. I see a lot of potential in this concept, and I would love to continue developing this series by bringing it to other spaces and contexts.
CNTRFLD. What advice would you give to emerging artists, particularly those who are diasporic or working in cross-cultural contexts, about finding their voice, and navigating the art world?
LC. I am not sure if I am the best person to give anyone any advice but if I have to it would probably be - to carve out a niche for yourself. The world is flooded with creative ideas and it’s crucial to find your unique tone of voice and to slowly build up a context for your body of work.
CNTRFLD. Looking back at your career so far, is there anything you wish you had done differently, or any lessons you have learned that you think are important for others in the arts to know?
LC. I wish I could be even more confident in trusting my own instinct. Self doubts have probably stopped me from doing things that are considered outside of the box. But art should be about not staying in the box!
ABOUT LIANG-JUN CHEN
Based in London, Liang-Jung Chen (she/they) works across drawing, object, installation and performance. Her practice is informed by material culture in anthropological study which leads her to investigate the usage, consumption, creation, and trade of artefacts as well as the behaviours, norms, and rituals that the artefacts take part in.
Intrigued by tensions embedded in everyday scenarios, each series of her work scrutinises a specific interaction between a daily object and its user.
Liang-Jun is an associate lecturer at Chelsea College of Arts, and also runs ii (initial initiatives) and hardware archive.
Exploring Material Culture: A Conversation with Liang-Jung Chen on Art, Identity, and Societal Narratives
In this CNTRFLD.ART conversation with Liang-Jung Chen, we explore the intricate world of the London-based Taiwanese artist and researcher. Liang-Jung’s multidisciplinary work spans drawing, objects, installation, and performance, driven by her deep exploration of material culture and anthropological study. Her practice examines the interactions between everyday objects and their users, uncovering the tensions embedded in these relationships. As an associate lecturer at Chelsea College of Arts and the founder of ii (Initial Initiatives) and Hardware Archive, Liang-Jung bridges art with societal and domestic narratives, merging conceptual depth with an approachable aesthetic. Her unique perspective as a diasporic Asian contemporary artist enriches her multifaceted approach, offering a thoughtful reflection on being a woman in the contemporary arts scene.
CNTRFLD. Can you tell us about the core themes and concepts that drive your artistic practice?
How did you come to focus on the interactions between everyday objects and their users?
LC. I have always been a sensitive and observant person who notices the details in the surroundings. My background in industrial design prompted me to think about the rationale behind how each everyday product is designed; to unpack an assembly of decisions the designer and the manufacturer make on every level. How our desire informs the creation of objects; how the object ultimately shapes our behaviour and forms the so-called civilisation. It’s sort of a chicken or egg question.
CNTRFLD. How does your upbringing and Taiwanese heritage influence your approach to art and research? Are there specific cultural elements that you incorporate into your work?
LC. Being Taiwanese is a bizarre experience. We are citizens of a country that doesn’t exist. The sense of insecurity and uncertainty is liberating and frustrating at the same time. It’s cool and sad. I find the tension intriguing and this ‘balancing act on the edges’ has been a recurring theme in my work.
CNTRFLD. As a diasporic Asian artist based in London, how do you navigate and integrate your cultural identity into your contemporary art practice? What challenges and opportunities have you met in this regard?
LC. It is always rewarding to live and work in another country where it offers opportunities for one to reflect on one’s culture in a different light. The distance in between is somehow necessary to facilitate contemplation like this.
A challenge I encountered is probably the communication style. Especially when I didn’t go to art school here in the UK, I struggled to contextualise my work and to talk the artspeak. However, gradually I have come to terms with it, the work will speak for itself and I am glad that my works have managed to resonate with a small part of the international audience here in the UK. That’s the charm of London, no matter how niche your craft is, there is a gang.
CNTRFLD. Your work often explores material culture and anthropological study. How do you select and interpret the artefacts and objects you work with, and what stories or insights are you hoping to reveal through them?
LC. The theme always comes fairly spontaneously. There is always so much going on in my brain, like a pool of abstract ideas swimming and mingling. When I am about to create a new piece of work, I withdraw the ideas to respond to an existing set of conditions. The final choice of the artefact or the material could be examined in different layers. Sometimes it is a comment on an institution’s politics, sometimes it comes down to the technical aspect like the accessibility of the specific material and fabrication technique.
CNTRFLD. Tell us more about ii (Initial Initiatives) and Hardware Archive. Can you describe your experience running these projects, and how these platforms contribute to your overall artistic vision and practice?
LC. Aside from my individual artistic practice where I allow myself to experiment and create freely, I also run two research-based platforms - Hardware Archive and ii (initial initiatives).
Hardware Archive collects industrially-manufactured household hardware items throughout history and across cultures that I find clever and interesting. The archive comes in handy when I am creating installations and sculptures and I hope it will do the same for other artists, architects, designers, engineers and more.
And ii (Initial Initiatives) contains everything else where I teach, curate, design, offer consultancy…and more. Mostly creative services that reach a wider crowd and help me to sustain my practice financially.
CNTRFLD. What role do you see art playing in the discourse around domestic narratives and societal structures? How does your work address or challenge these themes?
LC. I do believe a great piece of art can touch the soul, sharpen the mind and raise the questions that are relevant to the world we inhabit. Through my work, I invite the audience to reimagine the material culture today; to lead a more mindful lifestyle where we pay attention to detail and to rethink what we take for granted.
CNTRFLD. As an associate lecturer at Chelsea College of Arts, how do you balance your teaching responsibilities with your artistic endeavours? What insights from your teaching experience inform your own work?
LC. Teaching is a fantastic way to stay up to date. My students taught me to create with AI and introduced me to the mesmerising universe of TikTok. It is also a humbling experience working with international students of so many nationalities. I enjoy learning about their contextual research on specific phenomena in their own culture and somehow some of their research is stuck in my mind - blending into this dynamic idea swimming pool that I mentioned earlier. Everything is connected in one way or another - by exposing myself to such a diverse and bold community, my knowledge and thinking are expanded. It may then contribute to my practice in unexpected ways.
CNTRFLD. Could you share any details about your forthcoming projects or exhibitions? How do you envision these projects expanding or evolving from your earlier work?
LC. This year marks an important year for my practice as I completed the first ever institution commission at the V&A Museum in South Kensington. It is also of the largest scale of my work to date. The work is called “Regarding the retractability of boundaries”. The interactive installation is made of retractable barrier webbing system that could be seen everywhere in public spaces. While examining the boundaries in the public space, it also comments on my identity as a Taiwanese where the sense of border is strategically ambiguous and elastic. I see a lot of potential in this concept, and I would love to continue developing this series by bringing it to other spaces and contexts.
CNTRFLD. What advice would you give to emerging artists, particularly those who are diasporic or working in cross-cultural contexts, about finding their voice, and navigating the art world?
LC. I am not sure if I am the best person to give anyone any advice but if I have to it would probably be - to carve out a niche for yourself. The world is flooded with creative ideas and it’s crucial to find your unique tone of voice and to slowly build up a context for your body of work.
CNTRFLD. Looking back at your career so far, is there anything you wish you had done differently, or any lessons you have learned that you think are important for others in the arts to know?
LC. I wish I could be even more confident in trusting my own instinct. Self doubts have probably stopped me from doing things that are considered outside of the box. But art should be about not staying in the box!
ABOUT LIANG-JUN CHEN
Based in London, Liang-Jung Chen (she/they) works across drawing, object, installation and performance. Her practice is informed by material culture in anthropological study which leads her to investigate the usage, consumption, creation, and trade of artefacts as well as the behaviours, norms, and rituals that the artefacts take part in.
Intrigued by tensions embedded in everyday scenarios, each series of her work scrutinises a specific interaction between a daily object and its user.
Liang-Jun is an associate lecturer at Chelsea College of Arts, and also runs ii (initial initiatives) and hardware archive.
CREDITS:
Illustration of Liang-Jung Chen by Maria Chen
All Artwork © Liang-Jung Chen
More work and videos here