Hello,

I'm Ce Chen, an artist and a PhD researcher. My artistic practice traverses a diverse spectrum of media, ranges from graphic-based drawings to 3D installation.

​

My fascination with the Cornish landscape took root many years ago during my Bachelor's studies. I was drawn to the idea of how specific landscapes can shape identity and the symbolic potency they can possess. After completing MA Fine Art Painting at Camberwell, I moved to Cornwall to undertake Authorial Illustration at Falmouth, and further delve into the theoretical and methodological intricacies of a research topic I had proposed.

​

I am currently in the third year of the PhD research program at Chelsea College of Arts. My research focuses on the Cornish landscape and identity from the unique perspective of an outsider, exploring these themes through the ethnographic lens.

​

I approach painting as an agent of provocation. Authorial illustration has introduced a multitude of possibilities for narrative visualization. Traditional elements such as words, themes, and compositions can be harnessed in unique ways to decisively influence the outcome. In the words of Gary Powell, it's about going "back to basics." I've immersed myself in these fundamental elements to provoke or invent questions. I play with linearity, definition, materiality, and the concept of time-space. I firmly believe that art, within its specific context, systematically challenges our perceptions - even if the context is idealised or needs to be fabricated. Practice can be tooled to challenge the stability of a system, 'like tossing a stone in a dead pond', stimulating response, generating reflection, catalysing new idea.

​