Born in 1980 in Chiayi and now based in Taichung, HSIAO Chu-Fang graduated from the Graduate Institute of Plastic Arts at the Tainan National University of the Arts. Since receiving the SANCF Awards in 2004, she has established her presence in the art world in the past 20 years and painting remains her primary medium of artistic expression. Emerging as a standout artist in Taiwan’s contemporary art scene post-millennium, HSIAO is known for her comic-anime-esque vocabulary in depicting the minutiae of life. Her work is characterized by simple, elegant character designs, vibrant large color blocks, and flat color techniques. Capturing everyday trivialities, subtle emotions, and internal mini-dramas, she crafts a distinctive and instantly recognizable personal artistic style.

Her recent pieces in this exhibition continue to see her draw from everyday inspirations. For instance, Look at Him explores parent-child dynamics, illustrating the anxiety of children when they are introduced to others by an adult. Give Me A Smile reflects the guarded nature of today’s relationships. Meanwhile, Ah Ha Ha offers a glimpse of uninhibited emotion rarely seen in her repertoire, eliciting smiles from viewers.

Last year, she was invited to create art in Hualien. During her short stay, she was impressed by how the locals lived harmoniously with nature and the seasonal cycles. She admired the richness and diversity of their lifestyles, prompting her to reevaluate her metropolitan-centric worldview—that life in the metropolis epitomizes progress and convenience. She realized that, in comparison, her daily encounters in urban life were somewhat lackluster. In her practice of intensive self-dialogue, HSIAO takes time to slow down and observe, soaking up nutrients for her creative work whilst learning to be at ease. She strives to keep herself in a “state of standby that can be activated at any time” both in life and in her art. This has guided her toward a more relaxed and spontaneous approach to her creative endeavors.

The newfound openness of the mind led to the creative use of a sanding machine in her art. By methodically sanding away layers of paint accumulated on the canvas, she reveals hidden colors beneath or discovers that the layers have merged into new hues. This process presents improvisational creative challenges, resulting in works like Xiu Xiu Xiu, The World Is Spinning, Eating Noodles, and the exhibition’s largest piece, Look. These pieces, all sanded, showcase unexpected visual effects. “The sanding machine acts like another brush, blending the tones of different layers, making the painting technique feel more akin to sketching and smudging,” she explains. Departing from her previous flat color techniques which aimed to eliminate visible brushstrokes, HSIAO’s new experimentations evoke a sense of randomness and multilayered aesthetic appeal.

For her, painting is the most direct medium to express her inner feelings. Numerous charcoal sketches form the foundation for her paintings, capturing her instant impressions of life’s moments. As HSIAO aptly puts it, “If life involves accumulating experiences through continual practice, then creation is the documentation of these experiences.”