“Weepy Chrysanthemums.” All pictures © Felicia Chiao, shared with permission
Whether or not floating in swimming pools of rainwater within the middle of chrysanthemums or navigating the chaos of a fish tank, the characters in Felicia Chiao’s drawings encounter surreal circumstances that faucet into complicated feelings. Her illustrations (beforehand) comply with the experiences and interactions of solemn figures who seek for the solar, turn into immersed in blossoms, and seem each inquisitive about and overwhelmed by the massive world round them.
Chiao incorporates anthropomorphized components of nature to signify moods, like in “Strive,” which contrasts the cheerful, sunny prime stage of an condominium with a dim, melancholy decrease stage that will get little gentle. In “Bloat,” a darkish, interior monster—a recurring specter—is dispelled by the shining solar. Peering previous large flower petals or surrounded by prying eyes, her figures specific common emotions of awe, nervousness, uncertainty, and pleasure.
Lengthy utilizing Copic markers for her drawings, Chiao just lately switched to watercolor for gallery works, sustaining an analogous model of washed hues whereas reaching higher archival high quality. She continues to make use of the markers for private work, sharing with Colossal, “The brand new medium, nevertheless, has enabled me to push the boundaries of scale and shade software.” A few of these items are a part of New Regular, the artist’s solo exhibition at Big Robotic in Los Angeles that continues by way of June 28 and showcases her new watercolors.
In October, Chiao will probably be a part of a bunch exhibition introduced by Hello-Fructose Journal at Arch Enemy Arts in Philadephia, and he or she’s trying ahead to a different solo present subsequent yr in New York Metropolis with Harman Initiatives. Observe updates on Instagram and Patreon, and discover prints on Society6.
“Fish Tank”
“Chrysanthemum”
Left: “Development.” Proper: “Bloat”
“Strive”
“Floral White”
“Geraniums”
“Deal with With Care”
“Sample Worms”
“Seen”
“Ready”
“Solar God”
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