ISE Cultural Foundation

ISE Cultural Foundation is pleased to present Without End, an exhibition of works by New York-based artist Jenny Chen, curated by Joanne W. Chen.
In a global village, "hometown" is no longer defined by a region. So are the contemporary artists. Educated multi-culturally and internationally, they cannot be defined by a certain nationality. The only certainty is the existence of one's self and the essence of life- a flowing state of being. In our life, we learn how to "flow" between cities and countries, and to coexist with ourselves and strangers. To survive in a "flowing" society, we need to masticate the negative energy through the creative process and transform it into a new experience. Even if one manages to stay in a "stable" city, the essence of life is indeed flowing by nature. For Jenny Chen, abstract paintings are portraits of the "mind." The mind changes and so do her paintings. That difference is, in fact, a nature state between the creator and the viewer. Abstract painting is an object of multiple sides. In her work, Chen looks for the meditation space between fantasy and reality. Her creative process is like a series of rituals for clearing the mind. Chen draws inspiration from the ancient Chinese philosophers, Lao Tzu and Zhuang Tzu. In Zhuang Tzu's philosophy, "free mind" means a person's spirit is not encumbered by anything, hence reaches a state of true spontaneity and nature, an "effortless effort" (Wu Wei). That is Chen's spiritual and creative compass.