The Third Chapter : Interview with YenTing Chen (English ver.)
Every artist is guided by something that cannot always be seen, yet quietly gives meaning to everything they create.
In this conversation, YenTing Chen reflects on a practice shaped by a quiet attentiveness to light, time, and the subtle sensations of everyday life. Through fleeting moments of light across empty interiors and familiar landscapes, he explores how a single moment can hold not only what we see, but also the stillness, atmosphere, and feeling that exist within it.
Beyond every finished work lies a way of seeing the world. One shaped by the moments we notice, the sensations we carry, and the quiet spaces we inhabit. The Core Message invites readers to encounter that quiet inquiry through the artist's own words.
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Q. Thank you for joining us. To begin our conversation, we are curious to know how you define your identity as an artist at this moment and what central theme most occupies your thoughts.
A. To be honest, I haven’t consciously defined my identity as an artist at this moment. For me, the most captivating aspect of art lies in its ability to amplify our subtlest perceptions, allowing us to convey how we truly feel about what we witness in life.
The central theme currently occupying my thoughts is the quiet, serene moments of everyday life—which perhaps reflects my current state of being. Whether it is dead of night, early morning, or mid-afternoon, a sudden gleam of light piercing through an empty interior or an isolated scene acts as my muse. These fleeting moments catch my breath in the silence, deeply occupying my creative mind.
Q. This chapter is titled "The Core Message." If you were to describe the "anchor" or the most fundamental intention that holds your practice together, what would it be?
A. For me, this "anchor" is not a tangible concept, but a state of being—it is like that pure, untouched land we all yearn for within ourselves; the place where the heart truly belongs.
This inner anchor has always been there. However, as the rapid shifts and clamor of the outside world threaten to blunt our perceptions and leave us feeling ungrounded, the act of creating becomes a process akin to meditation. It is through continuous solitude and deep self-dialogue that we clear away the daily noise, rediscovering and reaffirming this "anchor." It is the very foundation that safeguards my inner peace amidst constant change.
Q. Is there a specific piece among your works that you feel most clearly embodies this "core message"? We would love to hear the story behind that work and why it holds such a special place in your heart.
A. The piece that most clearly embodies this core message is a painting of a scene I look out upon through my window every day, across all four seasons: Paddy Field on a Rainy Day
I have always had a deep affection for rainy days; they envelop the world in a misty, poetic veil. This work holds a very special place in my heart, partly because my home—Yilan, Taiwan—is a place defined by its frequent rain. In creating this piece, my intention was to gently convey my personal perception of this land to the viewer. I wanted to capture and seal the specific "climate" and "humidity" of that moment onto the canvas, allowing the audience to not only see the image but to collectively feel the dampness and tranquility lingering in the air as they gaze upon it.
Why it occupies such a sacred space in my heart is closely tied to my current state of being. These recurring landscapes have become a mirror to my interiority, where the external rain of Yilan beautifully reflects the quiet, introspective landscape of my inner mind at this very moment.
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Paddy Field on a Rainy Day Oil on canvas. 145.5x103.5cm 2025 |
Q. Sometimes, the most important messages are felt rather than seen. Is there a "whisper" or a subtle atmosphere in your work that you hope the audience will sense, even if it’s hard to put into words?
A. What I hope to convey through my work is a sense of "pure tranquility" that allows one to settle down.
The world can sometimes be overly clamorous and heavy. It is my sincere wish that when viewers stand before my paintings, the canvas can act as a quiet sanctuary. Even if only for a brief moment, I hope they can sense a subtle atmosphere that helps them find their own inner peace, allowing them to temporarily forget the pressures, anxieties, and worries of reality. I hope this serenity is not something I impose on them, but rather an inner calm gently awakened within themselves through the soft light and air of the painting.
Q. Artists often find themselves returning to a certain inquiry. What is the persistent question you find yourself asking through your art, regardless of how your style may change?
A. The inquiry I constantly return to is the essence of light and shadow. Because light changes from moment to moment, it naturally inherently carries the weight of time.
Through my brush, I seek to hold onto a single instance within this continuous shift. To me, a sliver of light on the canvas is not merely aesthetic; it implies a specific, lived moment. I strive to capture the stillness behind that threshold—whether it represents a quiet night or a completely ordinary afternoon, I hope to seal the feeling of that exact moment through light.
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Interior Graphite on paper. 45.5 × 53 cm
2025 |
Q. In an era of rapidly changing trends, how do you maintain your own pace and stay focused on the voice that matters most to you?
A. Maintaining my own pace in an era of rapid change is, first and foremost, deeply connected to the environment I surround myself with.
I live in the countryside—a place that embraces the tranquility of rural life without being completely isolated. This precise geographic setting allows me to distance myself from the frantic pace, noise, and high pressure of metropolitan life.
Internally, daily meditation and solitude serve as another antidote to steady myself. Through this harmonious alignment of my inner and outer worlds, I can prevent my senses from being blunted by fleeting trends, allowing me to stay continuously and deeply attuned to the creative voice that matters most to me.
Q. During the creative process, is there a specific moment or a sensation of "rightness" that tells you a piece has successfully captured your intended message?
A. For me, that sensation is deeply perceptual. It is about the holistic composition rather than specific details.
Sometimes, as I gaze at the canvas, I feel as though something is missing. This missing piece might be very small—perhaps a subtle shift in color progression or a minor compositional element. Yet, no matter how small it is, it affects the entire atmosphere. When I manage to find and integrate that crucial, tiny element, and everything finally feels right, that is the moment the piece successfully arrives.
Q. Beyond the final result, what part of the "act of creating" itself do you find most precious or aligned with your personal values?
A. Within the act of creation, I find the research and crafting of historical materials to be the most precious stage.
I thoroughly enjoy reconstructing the practices of historical painters, whether it involves grinding pigments or preparing canvasses. To me, this is not just preparation, but a continuous dialogue with the mediums themselves.
Discovering how past painters handled their materials and exploring their distinct priming methods and habits brings me immense joy. This artisanal process, requiring time and deep focus, holds a much more profound value for me than simply chasing a final visual result.
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| Material preparation |
A. I feel that I am still constantly learning in this regard. It wasn’t a sudden shift, but rather a gradual accumulation of sensory experiences.
Taking the time to walk around and visit art museums provides essential nourishment for my daily life. As my senses are stimulated and inspired by these activities, they naturally influence my creative work. Looking at masterpieces and experiencing different atmospheres has made me realize that painting is not just about making something visually appealing; it is about channeling those moving, everyday sensations into a deeper message within my work.
Q.As your practice has evolved, how has your core message shifted or become more defined over time?
A. I believe that a core message only becomes defined through continuous reflection and creation.
Often, when a piece begins, what I am pursuing is quite vague. Yet, that is precisely what makes creating so fascinating and full of surprises—many of the answers are discovered only within the process of physical practice. Over time, through constant exploration on the canvas, those initially blurry ideas naturally become clearer and more concrete.
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In the studio YenTing Chen |
Q. What kind of internal conversation do you hope a viewer has with themselves when they spend time with your work? What is the "echo" you hope stays with them?
A. I hope that my work strikes a chord with viewers, allowing them to find their own inner peace.
Modern life is filled with real-world stress and anxiety; if the stillness within my paintings can help alleviate those feelings, that is precisely the echo I hope stays with them. For me, creation is more than just personal expression. Knowing that my work can bring comfort to someone else is the greatest encouragement I could ask for as a creator.
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