(photo credit: Weitao Wu @wu.made)
Sunny Moxin Chen (b.1996, Moscow) is a Chinese multi-disciplinary artist, educator, and curator who relocated to the U.S. in 2013 and is currently based in Brooklyn, NY. Her artistic exploration revolves around the intricate dynamics of home, interpersonal relationships, and spiritual presence within physical spaces. In a world marked by perpetual flux, Chen's creations aim to evoke a profound sense of existence, belonging, and identity, inviting viewers into a deeply personal journey of introspection. By adeptly blending paint with everyday found materials, each imbued with its own history, emotion, and vitality, Chen crafts vessels of memory and significance. Through geometric and biomorphic shapes, she establishes an aesthetic that is both artificial and organic, resonating with the complexities of human experience. Chen's work emphasizes the profound impact of our choices on our surroundings and self-perception. With a meticulous focus on the interplay between the material and the spiritual, she prompts contemplation on their interconnectedness, advocating for a harmonious equilibrium between these two realms. Through her art, Chen invites viewers to explore the intricate relationship between the tangible and the intangible, ultimately fostering a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Chen recently showed works at Soul Arts Center, Beijing, Soil Gallery, Seattle, the Bridge Arts Foundation, Los Angeles, and A Space Gallery, Brooklyn. She won the “Best in Show” prize at Main Street Arts (NY) and had a solo show at the Distillery Gallery Boston. Chen has also shown works at Erie Art Museum (PA), Abigail Ogilvy Gallery (MA), Morgan Lehman Gallery (NY), Yiwei Gallery(CA), School of Visual Arts (NY), Fowler-Kellogg Art Center (NY), Piano Craft Gallery (MA), and so on. She was an artist-in-resident with full awards at Soaring Gardens (PA), and Chautauqua Institution (NY) in 2022. She holds MFA in Painting from Boston University with the Merit Scholarship & Social Impact award and BFA dual degree in Painting & Studio for Interrelated Media from Massachusetts College of Art & Design with the Presidential Scholarship & George Nick Prize.
Chen recently showed works at Soul Arts Center, Beijing, Soil Gallery, Seattle, the Bridge Arts Foundation, Los Angeles, and A Space Gallery, Brooklyn. She won the “Best in Show” prize at Main Street Arts (NY) and had a solo show at the Distillery Gallery Boston. Chen has also shown works at Erie Art Museum (PA), Abigail Ogilvy Gallery (MA), Morgan Lehman Gallery (NY), Yiwei Gallery(CA), School of Visual Arts (NY), Fowler-Kellogg Art Center (NY), Piano Craft Gallery (MA), and so on. She was an artist-in-resident with full awards at Soaring Gardens (PA), and Chautauqua Institution (NY) in 2022. She holds MFA in Painting from Boston University with the Merit Scholarship & Social Impact award and BFA dual degree in Painting & Studio for Interrelated Media from Massachusetts College of Art & Design with the Presidential Scholarship & George Nick Prize.