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GLANCE, Unveiling hidden desires

Skyler Chen

Dates
20.06.2023 | 01.07.2023
Gallery
Pièce Unique
File
PRESS RELEASE

MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique is pleased to present the work of Taiwanese-born, Rotterdam-based artist Skyler Chen.


The exhibition, titled GLANCE, Unveiling hidden desires, invites visitors to explore Chen's paintings which range from metaphysical and lonely to intriguingly sensual. The space of the Parisian gallery heightens the experience, offering tantalising glimpses through its window into the bold and provocative scenes that Chen depicts fearlessly.


Chen's narrative is undeniably extraordinary, simultaneously personal, and universally relatable. Art became the medium through which Chen found healing and empowerment, allowing them to forge a distinctive visual language. Weaving together the intricate threads of human emotions and relationships, Chen paints vibrant tableaus that mirror our existence. The motionless figures assume the role of ambassadors for our contemporary era, emanating an enduring allure that defies the passage of time. Within this timeless ambience, veiled revelations of sexual desires emerge, subtle hints that beckon us into a daring and queer realm. Chen reminds us that we are not alone, as their characters, adorned in grey shirts and work trousers, find solace in audacious fantasies.


Growing up in a conservative Asian environment and shaped by a Mormon upbringing, Chen faced personal challenges in embracing his queer identity. To express his true self, Chen immersed himself in a concealed collection of gay magazines and intriguing toys meticulously hidden within the sanctuary of their bedroom. These secret treasures served as tangible reminders that his uniqueness was shared by others. Infused with humour, Chen's art aims to provoke deeper understanding, echoing the intricate complexity of language and identity.


Chen's work seamlessly merges his queer identity with his Asian heritage, incorporating symbolic elements that hold profound meanings. Chinese dumplings, bouquets of flowers, and various animals find their place within Chen's imagery. These elements are deftly interwoven, much like constructing Chinese sentences, where each word carries its own weight. However, it is when these elements converge that their true essence comes alive. Within Chen's compositions, gay magazines, birds, and hidden messages become indispensable elements of communication.


Within the space of MASSIMODECARLO Pièce Unique, Chen's works act as gateways to coveted narratives and satisfying intimate connections, infused with a delightful sense of playfulness. They provide fleeting glimpses into a realm free from inhibitions or prejudice, inviting viewers to explore the multidimensional layers of human experience and the boundless possibilities of self-expression.

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Skyler Chen

Skyler Chen was born in 1982 in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. He graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Fine Arts in 2006. Currently, he lives and works in Rotterdam, Netherlands.


Chen’s work seamlessly blends classicism and modernity, creating intimate and occasionally provocative scenes that juxtapose contemporary desires with a classical aesthetic.


Struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia, Chen turned to painting as a means of communication. His art explores his queer Asian identity and conveys the experience of being a queer person in a conservative culture.


Drawing from his personal life experiences, Chen incorporates a blend of languages and cultures in his work, from traditional Taiwanese iconography to American commercial imagery. His paintings focus on details that highlight the symbolic power of objects and memories. In Chen’s compositions, symbolic elements such as erotic magazines, dumplings, fresh fruit, and birds find their place on the canvas. Through his art, he finds healing, embracing his queerness while navigating the challenges of dyslexia. Painting serves as his medium of communication, enabling deeper connections with himself and others.


Earthy tones, warm shades, isolated characters, and allegorical objects inhabit Chen’s work, providing a visual representation of the human experience. His works feature enigmatic figures in familiar settings, projecting their queerness onto the objects around them. The detached and static figures in Chen's paintings are specific to our time, yet they can also be perceived as timeless, conveying one of the greatest contemporary feelings: aloneness.

Studio Portrait 2024