Opening Reception:
Thursday, October 9, 5:00pm – 7:00pm
Artist Talk:
Thursday, November 6, 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Through painting and intricately beaded work, Szu-Chieh Yun explores the relationship between power, energy, and identity in her ongoing two-part series Rage & Ecstasy.
In the first part, Rage, Yun examines the “Karen” phenomenon, in which entitled white women weaponize their privilege and vulnerability to unleash violent, aggressive behaviors toward marginalized communities. “The spectacle and viral spreading of Karen,” Yun states, “operates as a response to the current social climate, while simultaneously separating the phenomenon from critical dialogue.” Yun is fascinated by the virality of Karen, a figure both absurd and dangerous, and attempts to make sense of Karens through humorous and surreal paintings that navigate themes of desire, femininity, and power.
In the second part, Ecstasy, rage becomes ritual. Yun channels her fury, or perhaps the collective fury, into the meditative acts of beading and painting. With each bead, she releases something volatile and transforms it into something obsessive, painstakingly detailed, and yet tender. Her beaded work is luscious and laborious, emerging from a spiritual rhythm. One bead connects to the next, forming lines that turn into drawings—fluid and reflective, catching light and holding it.
In Rage & Ecstasy, Yun expertly uses humor, disgust, anger, and pain to express her deep empathy for the collective human experience. She understands that victims can also be villains and that the contradictions we carry are not flaws but echoes of our shared humanity. Her repetitive and devotional process of transforming small marks into expansive figurative work reminds us that “the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.”
Szu-Chieh Yun is a Taiwanese-American artist based in Boston, MA. She received her MFA from University of Arts London at Wimbledon College of Arts 2016 and her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2011, during which she completed a semester abroad in the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China. Her work has been exhibited in the U.S. and internationally. Szu-Chieh is an experienced visual arts educator who has worked extensively with low-income students in Boston as a mentor and internationally as an art teacher in Shanghai. She attended Studios at Mass MoCA in 2022 and is currently an adjunct professor at Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Trustman Art Gallery hours are 10 AM – 4:30 pm, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and 10 am – 7pm on Thursday. The Gallery is free, open to the public and wheelchair accessible.
The Trustman Art Gallery is located within Simmons University at 300 Fenway, 4th floor, Boston MA 02115. For more information, contact Loretta Park at [email protected].
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