10 Questions with Chelsea Ning

Chelsea Ning 寧楚媛 (she/her - b.2001) is a photographer and textile designer currently based in Providence, Rhode Island. Chelsea has her BFA program at Rhode Island School of Design from 2019-2024. She is grappling with subtle feelings based on the ideas of dissonance, self-identity, concealment, displacement, isolation, and nostalgia in her work. Chelsea has been interested in different ways of media based on visual expressions, including film installations, paintings, and prints.

Chelsea’s photographs are soft and fabricated within lots of narratives. By intentionally erasing parts of the view, she creates a unique perspective by reserving a comprehensive view of what happened, letting the audience find their own ways to connect with the images. Her photographs of distorted reflections in mirrors suggest that all the environments and representations of ourselves are created and abstract rather than objective. It implies that our perception is the leading part that decides how we feel and what is happening in our minds.

www.chuyuanning.com | @chelseacng

ARTIST STATEMENT

Chelsea Ning's artistic philosophy centers on an introspective exploration of personal identity, isolation, displacement, and nostalgia as experienced by an Asian female in America. Her work delves into the profound question of "who am I and what makes me myself," aiming to establish a connection with individuals who share similar backgrounds and emotions. Drawing from her Asian heritage and experiences in America, Ning's art reflects deep engagement with feelings of isolation, displacement, and nostalgia, offering a nuanced perspective on cultural identity and the complexities of personal experiences within a larger societal context.

"In My 20s" is an expanding series that delves into the experiences and challenges faced by young individuals during their twenties. It explores themes of delicacy, chaos, uncertainty, and dreams, somehow intertwined with identifiable items, such as stress relief gummies and wine bottles. The goal is to create an inviting and relatable space for the audience to step into. ​Through the artful connection of moments and fragments, these photographs intricately weave together the varied moods and thoughts of this phase of life.

"Misplaced/Misplaced 2024" is characterized by a compendium of artworks that delve into the themes of displacement, the absence of objects, and feelings of isolation. Within this series, Ning explores the experience of transitioning from one place to another, addressing the feelings of alienation arising from the environment and the quest to find a sense of belonging.

"If not here, where" delves into themes of identity, memory, displacement, and self through reflections on identifiable objects and subjects, blurring boundaries to create a sense of familiarity tinged with detachment. Drawing from creative works and philosophical ideas, it offers a thought-provoking exploration of the complex nature of human experiences and the quest for self-understanding and authenticity in a complex world.

"Small Boat" draws inspiration from the tragic Morecambe Bay cockling disaster in 2004 and Isaac's poignant work "Ten Thousand Waves." It narrates a tale of reincarnation, identity, and metamorphosis. Familiar scenarios play out through the eyes of a young person awakening to contemplate the past, culminating in the discovery of inner well-being. This story gently reveals the process of reflecting and regaining.

The artworks intricately intertwined themes of personal identity, cultural heritage, and the relentless passage of time, all while captivating viewers with the tactile and sensory possibilities of contemporary art. Each artwork serves as a doorway into Ning's reflective exploration of the experience of an Asian female in America, encouraging audiences to navigate the nuanced layers of emotion and perspective captured through her artistic vision. Through a delicate interplay of imagery and symbolism, Ning's work becomes a transformative journey, blurring the boundaries between the tangible and the ephemeral, the individual and the universal, and the past and the present.

INTERVIEW

Can you tell us about your background and your journey from studying at the Rhode Island School of Design to becoming a photographer and textile designer?

I had an interest in art at a very young age, and I did oil paintings as I grew up. I learned to use some basic drawing techniques, like watercolors and ink drawing, when I was little. In high school, I tried a broad range of design and art-making processes. Growing up in a very busy city, I was under a lot of pressure from different aspects, which may have indirectly affected my work. 
I came to RISD when I was 17, and I spent five years taking two major courses. I was not completely sure what I wanted at first when I arrived, so I spent a lot of time thinking about different media in the arts. What does each medium mean when it is applied to a work? In the end, I picked up textile design and photography for my best interest. Before I came to the school, I liked spending time sewing small objects, quilting, and collecting fabrics. However, I have not tried doing photography before. I went to the photography department to explore what I would learn and how I would approach photography. 

As an artist working across different media, including photography, textile design, film installations, paintings, and prints, how do you decide which medium to use for a particular project?

I enjoyed using different media or tried to combine them somehow. However, it does not always work. Sometimes I feel that lots of elements will create many layers that distract what I really want the audience to see. Thus, I would say I will call most of them experimental and a part of my own explorations. 
Photography is currently my main medium. When I use it as a material, I sometimes think of the connotations behind it. It is different from printing an image on a piece of paper versus a piece of fabric, and when I do so, I will be challenged to think back to the material itself. Does it have to be on paper? Compared to painting, photography is a medium where you can print as many duplications as you want. How does that affect my work? I have been thinking about it lately. 

Can you discuss the role of cultural heritage in your artwork and how it informs the narratives you create?

Yes. I always wonder if my experience has shaped my work largely or if someone else can resonate with me when I try to find something that I call "identity" or "the way that I feel like I am." I grew up in a city with fewer cultures and a main component of immigrants. Later, I moved to America, where I was engaged in a larger community with more people who have unique backgrounds. I have been thinking about what "culture" is. Or do we call it "cultural?" Does that mean we are searching for a kind of attachment or bond to where we are from? It is hard to answer these questions.
I started to merge my feelings on these ideas and communities around me into my work by creating a sense of displacement and concealment. I started to conceal my subject matter when taking a photo in my sophomore year, and I found that it gradually became a comfortable way for me to work with. I liked to see some layers and probably confuse a part of my audience. But if someone is really drawn to something, I believe that they will figure things out based on "clues". That is a fun process to do photography. Later, it gave me more space to explain and create my narrative for my work as I spent more time at school. I was really thinking about how to explain it in my thesis, too.

Your work primarily centers around your experiences as an Asian female in America, as you mention in your statement. How have these experiences influenced your artistic perspective and the themes you explore in your work?

It may directly or indirectly do so! I feel like I have lived in a community that does not have enough support for minority groups, and sometimes, the connection is not easy to get. My professor tried to let us voice ourselves, but the outcome was not always as expected. Apart from cultural differences, it is also about how people feel isolated today. I feel like something is missing, so I was trying to capture this sense through my lenses.
I have learned a lot here compared to where I am from. I have not really learned photography from other perspectives. Instead, it is very institutional based. It is also mostly very western. I feel like my work is not trying to articulate things from a non western view, and I want it to feel more personal.

At the same time, your artistic philosophy centers on introspection and exploration of personal identity. How do you represent complex emotions like isolation, displacement, and nostalgia through your art?

I did research for some projects, especially if I knew that I was going to touch on some historical or communal experiences. I am encouraged to write a lot, and I feel like it is important to feel some emotions when I do so. I am not a person who always has a plan for where to go, and I have explored lots of places that I feel like a "third space." When I traveled to Europe, I enjoyed the fact that I was a stranger and I knew nobody there. The freedom lets me take a closer look at what is happening around me without worrying about being judged or commented on. I had a lot of "third space" like that, and when I was back to where I live, I tried to search for more similar visuals. Does that look like an alley where I walked in Italy? I intend to use blurriness to make things look "placeless", and leave space for viewers to imagine.

How do you use visual storytelling to communicate these experiences to your audience? And what do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your artwork, and what aspirations do you have for your artistic career moving forward?

Not everyone may be willing to be my audience. My stories could be easier for other Asians or Asian females who have similar experiences to understand. I am not saying that they will definitely be hard for specific audiences to interpret since I am very curious about their reactions. If possible, I would like to answer many questions that my viewers have.
I am not hoping for something very much. To be honest, I am unsure how I should create a boundary for the audience regarding understanding. Do I need everything to be fully understood and digested? Probably not. I would like to know something new. Once, someone also working in fine arts told me that he felt like my work is like directly looking into a viewfinder, which surprised me. It was a very helpful comment for me to see my work from different perspectives. Each person sees something they can recognize in my work, and that is very meaningful.
I had my first solo exhibition a while ago, and I remembered that some audiences would not see things that are covered as something very common and mundane. I told them that it was a person beneath the fabric, and they noticed that. I talked more about my work, and they usually grasp what I say when taking a closer look. I am not sure if text is the best method for delivering the themes or ideas, but I have been told how to make my statement.
I may not be as ambitious as people think, but I do hope that I can keep creating my work and learn more techniques! I am focusing on my current project, but I wonder if it is time to start my next project. Usually, I like to do projects in the long run, and I believe that it will accumulate as time goes.

You also work with textile art. How does your approach change when working with photography, compared to when you work with textiles and installations? 

Photography is also a part of the fine art working process. With that being said, I feel like there is more difference when it comes to design and fine arts. They are not very different for me when it comes to the creative working process, but textiles do need more planning and mapping when it is going to be a large work. I also have to control more factors if I have a clear image in my mind. Textiles are a broad way of thinking, and I am more focused on fine art textiles or combining textile work, like fabrics, with other materials. Sometimes, I feel like my photography work carries more subtlety. When I do photography, I also use digital cameras a lot compared to film cameras. Doing art can be very traditional if there is less new technology involved, and I sometimes tend to put that thought in my mind.

Do you feel there is a common thread across all your works, even when using different mediums? And how do you keep your work cohesive? 

It may be due to what many people call style or preference for using some elements. I would say lots of my works are about concepts of surroundings, feelings of isolation, or factors that have to do with interpersonal relationships. I do not tend to talk about things in a large context, but I use intuition to help me create a frame that can tell some stories. I also enjoy watching different movies, shows, and poetry works to help find my way of practicing if that is what I feel most interested in.
I was not trying to keep everything aligned, but I did not want to lose the main component of them. In the future, they may become very different. I am very situated where I am, so the idea of place can be important. If I move to a new place and have another home, I will probably shift my focus to creating another series of work.

On the same note, is there any other medium or technique you would like to experiment with?

Yes! I really want to learn something about sculptures, something to do with sculptures, and how artists work on three-dimensional projects if that is also incorporated with two-dimensional work. I am also interested in some traditional ways of making photographs, like Van Dyke Brown. I also want to regain some skills that I have not kept for a while.

And lastly, what are some upcoming projects or exhibitions you're working on that you're particularly excited about?

I am going to graduate, so I think that will be my thesis project and thesis shows. I am doing two majors so there are going to be two senior shows. For photography, there is going to be a two person show. I have recently done a few new photographs that will probably be on show. Right now, I still need to think about how I am going to position things and frame them, but I look forward to seeing them happening!

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.