Title of work: Shackles
Year produced: 2022
Artist Bio
Chien-An Chou is an artist from Taiwan. I try to imply the correlation between humans, the earth and technology through the creation of my own worldview. I own my own clothing brand and creation should not be limited to just one canvas. I was a designer for Dropdead and Jurassic Park. And I collaborated with G-shock in 2021. Other partners include Nike, Adidas, Apple Music, ASUS and Fortnite. Right now I'm focusing on creating 1 of 1 artworks. Art is my life.
What do you want our readers to know about this work?
We are always moving forward under constraints while defying people’s views and challenging social norms.
Not sure if we will become who we want to be in the future, or who everyone expects us to be…The "Shackles" Series originated from Chien-An Chou’s graphic design works released in 2018. At that time, the works received great responses and appeared on the cover of a newspaper in Taiwan. I use my work to convey my own life experience. Very often what we do is bound by external perceptions and morals. I am no exception, especially when I’m living in Asia. At the time I created the "Shackles" series, I was facing many life choices, including changes in my life course or career path. Overall, I gained many new insights from those experiences.
The work is represented by a strong color palette and some religious elements. I am faced with the impact of new things and concepts. But still, traditional views or beliefs often hold me back. I think creation is a selfish thing. It is a record of the life experience of the creator at the time of creation. It is then presented to the viewer through a painting, like a bridge that connects people from different worlds. I think this is the most interesting part of creative work. If we connect well with each other through a particular work, it’s most likely because we have had similar life experiences.
