ARTIST STATEMENT

John Chia Hsuan Kuo
2025

"I was born and raised in a city in the southern part of Taiwan until I came to New York. I began drifting in this city primarily composed of immigrants, and this impact prompted me to contemplate the concept of “home” , which I had previously taken for granted. In the 'Unknown Creatures' series, I shape a clay entity resembling a sea anemone to symbolize my immigrant status. It traverses the ocean, floating in search of opportunities for survival, growth, and a chance to establish roots."

To me, the city feels like an aquarium, filled with constant movement and unexpected scenes that catch my eye. In my more figurative work, I draw inspiration from the people I see on my daily subway rides, the fleeting moments that unfold around me, and buildings lined with windows, each carring a different story, fragments of lives, dreams, and aspirations. To a foreigner like me, they symbolize something both distant and intimate.

I like playing with imagery, constructing my sculptures as surreal collages that merge different elements into a single form. I incorporate windows into my figures and urban objects, using them as portals that reveal both presence and absence—a longing for connection while existing in a state of transition. These windows also allude to inner worlds, emotions, and memories, offering glimpses into the untold.

In this vast aquarium we inhabit, we drift through its currents, surrounded by countless lives unfolding in fragments of light and shadow. Both watching and being watched, we are all part of this ever-shifting landscape.