Dora Chen
Fine Art MFA
Rhode Island School of Design
Graduates: 2023
Specialisms: Ceramics / Installation/Sculpture / Sculpture
My location: Vancouver, Canada
Dora Chen
First Name: Dora
Last Name: Chen
University / College: Rhode Island School of Design
Course / Program: Fine Art MFA
Graduates: 2023
Specialisms: Ceramics / Installation/Sculpture / Sculpture
My Location: Vancouver, Canada
About
I am a patient, precise, persistent and detail-oriented artist with a passion for ceramics. Growing up, I was heavily influenced by my father, an artist who specialized in traditional Chinese watercolour paintings. Being immersed in this artistic world from a young age, I cultivated a strong aesthetic sense that serves me well in my work today. After pursuing my love of ceramics by completing a BFA at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, I recently received my MFA in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design.My artwork seeks to explore the unknown forces that are constantly shaping our lives. I am intrigued by the intangible connections that link people, objects, and places together, and how they manifest across space and time. As a ceramicist emphasizing both interiority and tactility, my work dissects layered ideas of closeness and disruption in order to reveal a nuanced understanding of how we exist in perpetuity with what we can't be seen. I wish to explore this topic through carefully directed installations that emphasize intimacy and engagement among audience members. Through inspiration from my past experience, childhood memories, as well as my Chinese cultural background, to create an immersive environment using clay as a narrative tool, with interactions between physical objects becoming symbolic representations of the powerful bond that exists regardless of distance.
The title of this collection of work, “Five Poisons,” has been inspired by an intriguing myth in ancient Chinese culture that revolves around the five most poisonous animals. These animals, centipede, scorpion, snake, toad and gecko, have been considered symbols of death and danger. However, I have given my twist to the myth by swapping the last two animals with those that frequently appear in my father’s paintings - spider and bat. What captivated me the most was the remarkable significance that Chinese people gave to these animals. Despite their toxicity, they are believed to possess profound meaning and symbolism. This can be seen in their frequent appearance in patterns and paintings in China, as well as in the creation of jewelry design elements. There is a Chinese idiom that translates to “the law of physics dictates a rebound”. It means that, in the physical world, any action will produce an equal and opposite reaction. This principle comes from Newton’s Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In Chinese culture, this idiom is often used figuratively to suggest that a person’s actions or behaviour can have unforeseen consequences or ramifications. The phenomenon of extremes reversing their course is a fascinating concept that can be observed in various aspects of life. The transformation of the representation of five poisonous animals is a prime example of this phenomenon. From being regarded as deadly and dangerous to becoming objects of admiration, these creatures have undergone a complete reversal of their status. The transformation of them from symbols of danger and negativity to objects of admiration and beauty begs the question of what is the “right” way to understand them. This shift carries a profound impact on human relationships and interactions as well, highlighting the power of perspective. Which is the reason I created this series.
Competitions
