Chang uses her individual linguistic system to embed a series of hints and clues in hand-written scrolls and manuscript fragments displayed in the cabinet, performing an invocation ritual through a pseudo-antique style and telling the history of people warring for the Aura stone.
《The Untroubled Land Over the Rainbow》exhibition essay
Once upon a time, there was an untroubled place in the interstice of time and over the rainbow.
A place where there isn't any trouble…There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train. It's far, far away. Behind the moon, beyond the rain. Somewhere over the rainbow. —Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz
The Untroubled Land Over the Rainbow
A long, long time ago, in the distant HA.HA. universe lies a mysterious place called the “Untroubled Forest.” A fantastic place, the forest is like nature’s canvas in a different space-time, splendidly colorful and extraordinarily incredible. It is like a dreamland woven with rainbows and constellations of stars. This alluring woodland possesses magic that heals the mind and soul, and conceals a supernatural secret that helps people forget troubles and create joy. It is in this illusory forest that a special warrior was born, and people call her the “Wolf Girl.”
The Wolf Girl is like the stone-born Monkey King in the Untroubled Forest. Quirky and quick-witted as she is, being mischievous is the most important pleasure in her life. Though being called the “Wolf Girl,” one could never clearly determine whether she is a “wolf” or a “girl” because she always wears a human mask. It is as if she possesses two utterly dissimilar identities – a magical game involving different universes. Due to a serendipitous circumstance, she has joined the religion of HA.HA., and becomes a warrior of this mystic sect, who is entrusted with the missionary work from Dr. Monkey. With immense curiosity overflowing from her eyes, she wanders between the alter-dimensional multiverse.
In this exhibition, the Wolf Girl returns to her birthplace, the Untroubled Forest. It lies hidden in the interstice of time – a natural site of an alter-dimension. Only a handful of very lucky ones is able to find the pathway into this forest.
The Magical Time Leap of the Clear and Wide Eyes
With her consistent and signature style, Chang Chia-Ying continues to explore the deconstruction and converging of “time” and “space,” breaking how space and time work in the context of human existence and utilizing infinite mirror reflection to transform unknown spatial-temporal existence into a characteristic of visual art. For instance, the diptych painting Pearl Song in the Untroubled Forest(未定) adopts a combinative form of alternating the two parts of the painting, and unveils various dimensions in the image, creating a connection between different temporal gaps leading to a different space-time. In addition, what makes Chang’s work even more unique is her choices for the images of her characters, which has shaped her iconic style. In her painting, she extensively uses images from fairytales, mythologies, and even popular culture, turning the characters she created to a myriad of figures from different periods. Most of her characters have an animal head and face with a human body. Just like the heroine of this very exhibition, the Wolf Girl: her large, round, sparkly eyes seem to see through people’s minds, and the quasi-smile on her face is so mysterious that it produces the “uncanny valley” effect. Spectators can only guess at what the characters aim to express and what they symbolize through the depicted background, thus engaging in a deep and dialogic exchange with the real world.
Chang Chia-Ying’s Artistic Remedy in a Restless Era
Since the year of 2020, the entire globe was swept by the pandemic. The fight against the fearful virus and the anxiety caused by isolation filled the human hearts with unease. As the pandemic was about to come to an end, war broke out on the other side of the planet—the Russo-Ukrainian War and the military conflicts between Israel and Palestine have kept striking a restless nerve in people’s hearts. “World peace” becomes the most unattainable wish. In this chaotic, anxiety-inflicted era, Chang Chia-Ying uses painting as the medium to lead her audience back to the Untroubled Forest in the interstice of time, offering people a healing haven secluded from this world. This exhibition revolves around the HA.HA. warrior, the Wolf Girl, and unfurls a brand-new story of the HA.HA. universe by revealing the secret to the birth of the Wolf Girl.
The term “untroubled” is inspired by the mysterious creature in the forest, known as “Qitu,” which is kind-natured bird that feasts on nightmares. According to “Xishan Jing” of Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), “there lives a bird in Mt. Yiwang, called ‘Qitu.’ Its form resembles a crow, and its sound resembles people’s laughter. Having three heads and six tails, its flesh has medical value for preventing paroniria, and its skin can be made into the shield against enemies.” Whenever the night falls, Qitu will fly and dance amidst the canopies of trees, holding nightmares in its mouth. The magic that erases troubles and worries is cast through the frequency of its flapping wings, and slowly overflows the forest. In her Celebration in Untroubled Forest of 2022, Chang reveals the existence of the forest. Her new work, Pearl Song in the Untroubled Forest and Celebration in Untroubled Forest share a similar perspective, as if they are two windows into the Untroubled Forest. The new piece shows a velvety, mesmerizing landscape with floating clouds and prismatic light, immersing verdant greenery in a pink tone. The entire image is filled with tender light. Elements in the image, such as flowers and pearls, symbolize happiness, peace, love and the embodiment of beauty, whereas the image of the mermaid highlights the mixture of pain and beauty. Pearls are depicted as the tears of the mermaid, pointing out the price of beauty and sacrifice. In this worry-free forest, the Wolf Girl has her back to the spectator and is seen removing the mask on her face. This is the first time that a character created by Chang turns its back to the audience, which places an emphasis on the subtle relation between concealment and truth. This momentary revelation indicates that all living beings can feel safe in this untainted natural environment, and is free to reveal their true selves. Through the turning of the Wolf Girl, the artist seems to urge the spectator to not only seek external peace, but also bravely face one’s inner truth.
In this body of work themed on “Untroubled Forest,” Chang increases the tension between softness and amusement, ingeniously capturing human being’s innate curiosity and ability to imitate – a tendency embraced by human children at the most pure-hearted and worry-free time of childhood. Such qualities are embodied by the fantastic creatures inhabiting the forest, who observe one another with curious eyes, imitating each other’s behavior while working together to collect the scattered pearls. Using her brush, the artist visualizes this child-like innocence on the vivid images of fantastic creatures, enabling the audience to almost hear their merry laughter flowing through the Untroubled Forest. Chang has always specialized in playing with the ambiguous nature of fairytale characters and objects to engage spectators in reflecting on the times. Through this approach, the artist not simply reminds people of the innocent time from childhood, but also cautions everyone to pay attention to the various conflicts and struggles in contemporary society, urging us to possibly seek possible beauty and love. Her artistic expression is simultaneously enriched by fantasy and compellingly hits a soft spot in the human hearts, generating a sense of empathy and resonating with spectators as they appreciate art.
The Soul Glistens and Guides the Homebound Heart
“Returning home” signals a homeward journey of the soul. Through following the footsteps of the Wolf Girl and re-embarking on the adventurous quest for the Untroubled Forest. The glimmering light in the interstice guides the way like the shining Northern Star, awakening the longing for “returning home” in the heart of every time traveler. Amidst the change of time, the meaning of “returning home” has transcended geographical coordinates, pointing to a place of solace in the depth of everyone’s heart – a heartwarming corner buried in the depth of memory—there, trees gently sway in breeze, and gurgling water flows unhurriedly under the gaze of time. Perhaps, the Untroubled Forest is in every individual’s heart, where the past is stored, be it long forgotten joy or remembrances in quietude. “Returning home” becomes a journey of inner exploration – an opportunity for time travelers to re-discover the never-withering verdancy deep inside, to immerse the soul in warmth and love in this homebound journey, and to retrieve the original, purest happiness.
Once upon a time, there was an untroubled place in the interstice of time and over the rainbow.
《The Untroubled Land Over the Rainbow》exhibition essay
A place where there isn't any trouble…There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train. It's far, far away. Behind the moon, beyond the rain. Somewhere over the rainbow. —Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz
The Untroubled Land Over the Rainbow
A long, long time ago, in the distant HA.HA. universe lies a mysterious place called the “Untroubled Forest.” A fantastic place, the forest is like nature’s canvas in a different space-time, splendidly colorful and extraordinarily incredible. It is like a dreamland woven with rainbows and constellations of stars. This alluring woodland possesses magic that heals the mind and soul, and conceals a supernatural secret that helps people forget troubles and create joy. It is in this illusory forest that a special warrior was born, and people call her the “Wolf Girl.”
The Wolf Girl is like the stone-born Monkey King in the Untroubled Forest. Quirky and quick-witted as she is, being mischievous is the most important pleasure in her life. Though being called the “Wolf Girl,” one could never clearly determine whether she is a “wolf” or a “girl” because she always wears a human mask. It is as if she possesses two utterly dissimilar identities – a magical game involving different universes. Due to a serendipitous circumstance, she has joined the religion of HA.HA., and becomes a warrior of this mystic sect, who is entrusted with the missionary work from Dr. Monkey. With immense curiosity overflowing from her eyes, she wanders between the alter-dimensional multiverse.
In this exhibition, the Wolf Girl returns to her birthplace, the Untroubled Forest. It lies hidden in the interstice of time – a natural site of an alter-dimension. Only a handful of very lucky ones is able to find the pathway into this forest.
The Magical Time Leap of the Clear and Wide Eyes
With her consistent and signature style, Chang Chia-Ying continues to explore the deconstruction and converging of “time” and “space,” breaking how space and time work in the context of human existence and utilizing infinite mirror reflection to transform unknown spatial-temporal existence into a characteristic of visual art. For instance, the diptych painting Pearl Song in the Untroubled Forest(未定) adopts a combinative form of alternating the two parts of the painting, and unveils various dimensions in the image, creating a connection between different temporal gaps leading to a different space-time. In addition, what makes Chang’s work even more unique is her choices for the images of her characters, which has shaped her iconic style. In her painting, she extensively uses images from fairytales, mythologies, and even popular culture, turning the characters she created to a myriad of figures from different periods. Most of her characters have an animal head and face with a human body. Just like the heroine of this very exhibition, the Wolf Girl: her large, round, sparkly eyes seem to see through people’s minds, and the quasi-smile on her face is so mysterious that it produces the “uncanny valley” effect. Spectators can only guess at what the characters aim to express and what they symbolize through the depicted background, thus engaging in a deep and dialogic exchange with the real world.
Chang Chia-Ying’s Artistic Remedy in a Restless Era
Since the year of 2020, the entire globe was swept by the pandemic. The fight against the fearful virus and the anxiety caused by isolation filled the human hearts with unease. As the pandemic was about to come to an end, war broke out on the other side of the planet—the Russo-Ukrainian War and the military conflicts between Israel and Palestine have kept striking a restless nerve in people’s hearts. “World peace” becomes the most unattainable wish. In this chaotic, anxiety-inflicted era, Chang Chia-Ying uses painting as the medium to lead her audience back to the Untroubled Forest in the interstice of time, offering people a healing haven secluded from this world. This exhibition revolves around the HA.HA. warrior, the Wolf Girl, and unfurls a brand-new story of the HA.HA. universe by revealing the secret to the birth of the Wolf Girl.
The term “untroubled” is inspired by the mysterious creature in the forest, known as “Qitu,” which is kind-natured bird that feasts on nightmares. According to “Xishan Jing” of Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), “there lives a bird in Mt. Yiwang, called ‘Qitu.’ Its form resembles a crow, and its sound resembles people’s laughter. Having three heads and six tails, its flesh has medical value for preventing paroniria, and its skin can be made into the shield against enemies.” Whenever the night falls, Qitu will fly and dance amidst the canopies of trees, holding nightmares in its mouth. The magic that erases troubles and worries is cast through the frequency of its flapping wings, and slowly overflows the forest. In her Celebration in Untroubled Forest of 2022, Chang reveals the existence of the forest. Her new work, Pearl Song in the Untroubled Forest and Celebration in Untroubled Forest share a similar perspective, as if they are two windows into the Untroubled Forest. The new piece shows a velvety, mesmerizing landscape with floating clouds and prismatic light, immersing verdant greenery in a pink tone. The entire image is filled with tender light. Elements in the image, such as flowers and pearls, symbolize happiness, peace, love and the embodiment of beauty, whereas the image of the mermaid highlights the mixture of pain and beauty. Pearls are depicted as the tears of the mermaid, pointing out the price of beauty and sacrifice. In this worry-free forest, the Wolf Girl has her back to the spectator and is seen removing the mask on her face. This is the first time that a character created by Chang turns its back to the audience, which places an emphasis on the subtle relation between concealment and truth. This momentary revelation indicates that all living beings can feel safe in this untainted natural environment, and is free to reveal their true selves. Through the turning of the Wolf Girl, the artist seems to urge the spectator to not only seek external peace, but also bravely face one’s inner truth.
In this body of work themed on “Untroubled Forest,” Chang increases the tension between softness and amusement, ingeniously capturing human being’s innate curiosity and ability to imitate – a tendency embraced by human children at the most pure-hearted and worry-free time of childhood. Such qualities are embodied by the fantastic creatures inhabiting the forest, who observe one another with curious eyes, imitating each other’s behavior while working together to collect the scattered pearls. Using her brush, the artist visualizes this child-like innocence on the vivid images of fantastic creatures, enabling the audience to almost hear their merry laughter flowing through the Untroubled Forest. Chang has always specialized in playing with the ambiguous nature of fairytale characters and objects to engage spectators in reflecting on the times. Through this approach, the artist not simply reminds people of the innocent time from childhood, but also cautions everyone to pay attention to the various conflicts and struggles in contemporary society, urging us to possibly seek possible beauty and love. Her artistic expression is simultaneously enriched by fantasy and compellingly hits a soft spot in the human hearts, generating a sense of empathy and resonating with spectators as they appreciate art.
The Soul Glistens and Guides the Homebound Heart
“Returning home” signals a homeward journey of the soul. Through following the footsteps of the Wolf Girl and re-embarking on the adventurous quest for the Untroubled Forest. The glimmering light in the interstice guides the way like the shining Northern Star, awakening the longing for “returning home” in the heart of every time traveler. Amidst the change of time, the meaning of “returning home” has transcended geographical coordinates, pointing to a place of solace in the depth of everyone’s heart – a heartwarming corner buried in the depth of memory—there, trees gently sway in breeze, and gurgling water flows unhurriedly under the gaze of time. Perhaps, the Untroubled Forest is in every individual’s heart, where the past is stored, be it long forgotten joy or remembrances in quietude. “Returning home” becomes a journey of inner exploration – an opportunity for time travelers to re-discover the never-withering verdancy deep inside, to immerse the soul in warmth and love in this homebound journey, and to retrieve the original, purest happiness.
Once upon a time, there was an untroubled place in the interstice of time and over the rainbow.