Su A Chae, "Meow No. 2"

Artist Statement

My painting investigates the ambivalence associated with identity and asymmetrical balance that creates paradoxical space. During my recent visit in WI, I made paintings of little human interruptions in nature and morning views out of the window. After self-isolating for a year, painting the unfamiliar and dreamy scenes in the new environment enabled me to reflect with appreciation and hope on belonging and home. Inspired by minhwa (Korean folk painting), I also recently painted tails of (big)cats to speak of isolation and connection. Hoping to open up a larger conversation of diversity and coexistence in social context, my paintings allow the rigid structures to be the places of playfulness, hope, and the possibility rather than suppression, anger, and anxiety.

Artist Bio

Su A Chae (Bloomington, IN) received her MFA in Painting from Indiana University Bloomington and an MA and a BA in Business from Ewha Womans University in South Korea. Chae completed the Tyler School of Art Summer Painting & Sculpture Intensive. She was a grant finalist for the Hopper Prize and a recipient of the Higher Education Partner Program Scholarship of Indiana University and the Windgate Scholarship Awards of Penland School of Craft. Her work has been exhibited at the Painting Center in New York, Ortega y Gasset Projects, Paradise Palace, Store for Rent Gallery in Brooklyn, 5-50 Gallery in Long Island City, Icebox Project Space in Philadelphia, Harrison Center in Indianapolis, Young Space, among others. Her work has been featured in Create! Magazine, Maake Magazine, Friend of The Artist, Studio Visit Magazine, and others. Chae was an artist-in-residence at Vermont Studio Center in VT, and ACRE in WI.

Meow No. 2, acrylic on paper, 11 x 11 inches, 2021, $250