silvery afternoon

Curated by Diana Smaczynski-Uysal
07. November – 05. December 2024
Vienna Collectors Club: Herrengasse 6-8/2/7, 1010 Vienna

exhibition text by Diana Smaczynski-Uysal:

The solo exhibition of artist Chien-Yu Lin at the Hochhaus Herrengasse in Vienna invites viewers to immerse themselves in the subtle details of her work, the quiet moments of everyday life, and the intricate process of printmaking.

Chien-Yu Lin, born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan, has a particular fondness for touching and smelling books before reading them – preferably on a rainy day. What she dislikes, however, is drinking lukewarm milk or eating melted ice cream. The artist studied at prestigious art schools in Taiwan, Israel, and Vienna. Her education encompasses traditional Asian ink painting, calligraphy, paper mounting, and printmaking.

In this exhibition, Chien-Yu showcases works and sketches from 2022 to 2024, documenting both the outcomes and various stages of the complex printmaking process. The artist explores techniques such as etching, aquatint, and viscosity printing, aiming to create a sense of playfulness and lightness in her linework. Intaglio, a centuries-old printing technique that dates back to the 15th century, demands patience, discipline, and physical strength from the artist, but it rewards with the uniqueness of each print, high-quality impressions, and rich color depth. The process itself is a delicate balance between control and chance – a theme that resonates throughout Chien-Yu’s work. While her early artistic phase focused on narrative composition, in recent years, Chien-Yu has increasingly concentrated on the emotional landscape of portraiture. Her work is often inspired by a quote, a particular word, or a meaningful life experience. Chien-Yu sees her art as an invitation for the viewer to pause and view the world from a new perspective – whether emotionally or technically. She describes her works as „small stones thrown into a lake, with a faint echo in the distance.“

In 2021, she moved to Vienna to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in the Studio for Abstract Painting under the mentorship of Michaela Eichwald and Thomas Winkler. Since 2022, she has continued her studies in the Studio for Graphics with Christian Schwarzwald and has worked as a student assistant in the intaglio workshop since 2023. In 2024, Chien-Yu’s works were nominated for the Ö1 Graphic of the Year. That same year, she participated in group exhibitions „Signale“ at the MAERZ Gallery in Linz, “Living_Memory” at Funyear Art Gallery in Taiwan and the special presentation at the gallery Skitsehandlen in Denmark.

exhibition’s website