Artwork Appreciation
CHEN Shao-Yen’s artworks are often based upon familiar themes and portray a purely emotional expression that leaves wide swathes of blank patches on the canvas as he searches for a truthful depiction of his subject.
Hand Constitute 1 is based upon the artist’s own hands and explores the various forms and meaning of human hands. These hands are transformed into symbols and then duplicated, overlapped, and expanded around the center of the canvas. Black, gray, and white color tones were used to create a meticulously layered and rich space.
Every stroke of this work allows CHEN Shao-Yen to experience the temperature and motion of the human hand. By studying a part of his own body, the artist was able to re-experience and communicate with his inner voice, converting figurative symbols into an abstract form of art as he pours his artistic emotions upon the canvas.