Aka Chen (Taiwanese, 1965-) is one of the premiere artists around the world today working in titanium. His debut solo exhibition in the United States, The Eternal Garden: Titanium Art by Aka Chen, showcases an exquisite assembly of 20 sculptures that ingeniously combine the intricacies of contemporary jewelry with fluid compositions of brush paintings. Spanning a diverse range of sizes from small vases to 30-foot-wide polyptychs, these sculptures feature ethereal branches cradling exquisite jewelry representations of blooming botanicals and animated wildlife, all crafted from the surprisingly robust material of titanium. With these masterpieces, the exhibition explores Chinese philosophy, the aesthetic qualities of the Chinese garden, the integration of natural elements within literati studios, and the emblematic use of the garden as a symbol for self-awakening in Chinese artistic tradition.
Titanium, an immensely challenging material due to its high melting point and hardness, is at the heart of Aka Chen’s artistic production. Since first researching and fashioning jewelry from titanium in 1994, Aka Chen has been pioneering and marrying traditional metalworking techniques with innovative practices. This includes sculpting at extraordinarily high temperatures and a novel approach to metal treatment—carving the metal underwater with precision tools typically reserved for medical procedures. Once the metal has been shaped, the titanium undergoes an anodization process to unveil a brilliant iridescent sheen. The culmination of this meticulous process is the setting of gemstones on the metal that complement and enhance each other, transforming the pieces into sophisticated, unique artworks.
Despite creating the works with luxurious materials, Aka Chen instills his artworks with personal humility and meditative quality. Through his unique blend of opulence and introspection, Aka Chen invites the viewers to immerse themselves in an experience that transcends the visual, awakening a deep, internal resonance with sensory memories.