Sherry Xiaohong Chen

In my abstract work, I explore the connection between memory and space. This body of work is inspired by the Chinese character “空间” (Kong Jian), a word rich in meaning—encompassing time, space, the human world, transitional space or state and even the mortuary. Our entire lives unfold within a variety of spaces, and I use this shared character as a conceptual anchor to reflect on what those spaces contain, witness, and leave behind.

I often use rectangular forms—evoking rooms, doors, windows, and cityscapes—to represent these physical and emotional environments. Each composition is a meditation on what happens within these spaces and what remains afterward, in our memories.

My materials include oil paint on Chinese rice paper and canvas, chosen to create a unique texture that merges Eastern and Western aesthetics. This blending of materials and cultures reflects my personal experience of observing, reflecting, and creating in solitude over recent years. Painting, for me, became a form of release and salvation—an intimate act that helped me transcend the limitations of physical space and restricted human connection.

I aim to capture moments—real or imagined—that I wish to preserve. Figures, objects, and abstract forms are placed ...

M.A Fine Art- University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

B. F. A. - Central Academy of Art and Design, Beijing, China (now the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University)

(boarding high-school) of Sichauan Fine Art Institute, ChongQing, China.

Athenaeum 32nd Annual Juried Exhibition
July 20- September 28, 2024
La Jolla, California, U.S A

2021 Cannon Gallery Juried Biennial
William D. Cannon Art Gallery
June 13- August 28, 2021

NCSFA Poway Center For Performing Arts Annual Juried Art Shows - First Place
2019

Gallery Selection
August 3 - October 27, 2019
Sparks Gallery
San Diego, CA

Edge of the Ocean
A Group Show - Feb 19 - May 21, 2017
Sparks Gallery
San Diego, CA

2016 Southern California/Baja Biennia
San Diego Art Institute Dec. 10, 2016 - Jan. 29, 2017

Saatchi Screen
Two paintings in the group screen project at
Saatchi Gallery
London, England

Nov. - Dec. 2015
30 years, Looking Back
Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Sep. 1995
Mexicali Art Museum, Mexicali, MEXICO

Apr. 1993
Tijuana Cultural Center, Tijuana, MEXICO

San Diego , Yokohama Culture Exchange
Sep. 1992
Yokohama Citizen Gallery, Yokohama City, JAPAN

Solo Exhibition:

Self, Nature, and Choices
May 5 - July 7 2013
San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, San Diego, CA