困st
05.11.21 – 10.11.21
The Chinese character 困, which is pronounced as “kun” has several meanings including "be stricken, trapped, sleepy" and "difficult". By combining the Norwegian word "kunst" with the Chinese character 困, Xin Liang and Tansiyu Chen address cultural and political restrictions with visual art and discuss their distinct experience of building their identity as Chinese female artists.
Xin Liang
"The dynamic atmosphere here brought me to recognize the theme of Trapped
Branches. I used plastic bags as the main material of my objects to express natural plants
trapped by environmental pollution. Hence, I do hope to interpret and express the feelings I felt to some extent in the representation of the trapped plants, to arouse people’s
awareness of the inseparable relationship between human and nature, materials and
surrounding and of course, us."
Tansiyu Chen
"Having experienced censorship in my native language, I am now building my own language with visual art through varied materials, telling stories of women as individuals, and those people who have been trapped like me. The exhibition 困st is a visual duet of me and Xin as two female artists who have a similar background and different life experiences."