Chiao Chu is a Chinese visual artist and painter based in London. She received her BA in Fine Art Drawing at Camberwell College of Art, UAL and is graduating from MA Visual Communication at Royal College of Art. She has recently been selected as one of the winners of the Delphian Open Call 2023. Selected exhibitions include, The British Postal Museum (UK), The Silver Building Gallery (UK), Copeland Gallery (UK), Royee Gallery (China).
Chiao Chu 储荞
My painting practice focuses on self-representations developed from my own experiences, memories and reverie. I draw inspiration from mythology, contemporary life as well as from literary sources.
My recent works explore emotions of melancholy, missing and longing based on my personal experiences of separation. Employing symbolic imagery, the paintings carry reflections on gains and losses, resistance and acceptance, revealing the genuine emotions faced in our time of uncertainty.
Under the project title, "it will never be the same flower nor the same moment," I encapsulate the impermanence of life itself. Within this series, the paintings harmonize and contrast with one another, unraveling the process of transformation and inviting viewers to organically connect with my intricate emotional tapestry.
Medium:
Oil on Canvas
Hug –
When faced with separation, I struggle to accept the changes in my surroundings. The withered flowers in my apartment, and the falling petals and flowing water I see during walks evoke poignant responses within me. I depicted a female figure, curled up amidst the dark tones of flowers and water, symbolising impermanence. This imagery reflects my resistance to the current environment, leading me into a state of solitude.
Medium:
Oil on Canvas, 20 x 25 cm
Butterflies –
I am striving to let go of the past and adapt to the present. I depicted shimmering butterflies, symbolizing rebirth and new life, to encourage myself.
Medium:
Oil on canvas, 30 x 30 cm
Tears of Love –
This painting was inspired by the teardrop-like traces left by the melted candles in my apartment, which reminded me of a phrase attributed to Tang Dynasty Poet Li Shangyin, who wrote: Candles’ tears don’t dry up before they become ashes’.
Medium:
Oil on Canvas, 20 x 25 cm
Night Thought –
This painting captures the emotions of melancholy and longing in the face of separation, reflecting on gains and losses, resistance and acceptance.
Orchids –
In a more positive mindset, I portrayed the blooming orchids in my flat as they bring to me a sense of renewal.
Medium:
Oil on Canvas, 20 x 25 cm
