Your name Chihyang Hsu Place of birth Taipei, Taiwan Place where you live now New York City 3 words to describe you adventurous, spontaneous, laid-back Why do you take pictures? At the age of nine, I was diagnosed with color blindness. That moment struck me with the realization that the world was more complicated than I had imagined. It stretched beyond the limits of my perception. My sense of sight submerged under a narrow chromogenic bandwidth. Failing to recognize some wavelengths in the spectrum reduces the ground I share interacting with others, and I need to bypass the indistinct visual evidence to accomplish my description, to fit myself in with the crowd. I have wondered how and why I came to lens-based art. In kindergarten, I once drew my mom’s face a weird color. Neither the teacher nor I regarded that as a new door opening to my creativity. She said I was special with a sarcastic undertone I could perceive even as a child. I started to turn away from drawing and, moreover, from associating my hands with creation. By transforming life into tangible evidence with a camera, I feel more rooted even though the changing meaning of day-to-day experience is still hard to grasp. The ambiguous reality in images reminds me of the drawing of my mom. It’s the door to creation, and, possibly, different ways of communication. Where do you get your inspiration? I firmly believe that great art is born from an artist’s keen observation of life. As creators, we can construct a bridge of communication through our art, inviting viewers to engage in a dialogue informed by their own life experiences. To me, the creative process always starts with introspection. I ask myself what my life means to me and others, and how I can use my artistic talents to positively impact the people around me. By starting from a place of reason and articulating fundamental values, I can create work that speaks to both the mind and the heart. At the same time, I also rely on my intuition to guide me through the creative process. I draw inspiration from the people and things that are closest to me, and I try to communicate through an artistic language that is authentic and genuine. In this way, my work becomes a harmonious blend of reason and intuition, grounded in observation and informed by my personal experiences. Who are your influences? Nayland Blake, Tehching Hsieh, Ray Johnson, and Martin Heidegger. I have met Blake and Hsieh in person and kept in touch for a few months, whereas Johnson and Heidegger are more of spiritual guides. Nayland Blake is the greatest educator that I was fortunate enough to take classes from during my MFA program. They introduced me to Ray Johnson’s mail art, which inspired me to pay more attention on my reasonings for art-making and to create community based projects. Furthermore, Heidegger’s ideas that we are thrown to this world and acknowledging death relieve my anxiety and nihilism. What determines the subject matter you choose? In this thermal photo project, I search for objects with temperature gaps to create mesmerizing compositions- the larger the difference, the more color variation. Usually, food, animals, mirrors and electronic devices are great subjects. However, chance and spontaneity play a significant role in my creative process. When I feel an urge for a creative outlet, I just look around my surroundings to pick an unremarkable object to start with. Besides this photo project, I have been sending friends postcard collages made with ephemerals. What impact would you like your art to have? I want to inspire others to make their art, regardless of shape or form. Just be creative, fearlessly and with no shame. What artwork do you never get bored with? The movie Yi Yi by Edward Yang, the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion (not the movies though), and the song Tornado (Long Juan Feng) by the King of Mandopop Jay Chou are my all-time favorites. Other than that, anything death-related intrigues me. I also see The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City as a great place of the artistic achievements of human civilization. Is there anything you want to add? Please kindly recommend me a book or a piece of artwork at @hsu_chihyang
My art concerns intimacy and the possibility of visual communication. At the age of nine, I was diagnosed with color blindness. The moment struck me when I realized the world is more complicated than I had imagined—it is beyond the limit of my understanding and perception. The sense of being submerged pushed me to examine the common practice of visual communication. As a result, I use a thermal camera to create images incorporating heat, which relates to the sense of touch. In this ongoing project Touch is Love, I use a compact thermal camera to visualize the heat one radiates, subjects including mostly hands of friends and illusions I created through heating up objects. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, I have become more careful about touching. Physical contact is sometimes intrusive and risky, let alone shaking hands and hugging to show intimacy. The technology allows me to see beyond the surface and provides a visceral sense of seeing, of being present.
