Taiwanese artist Jennifer Chia-ling Ho’s new solo exhibition “How Are You?” will take place at the Atrium Gallery of the 18th Street Arts Center (Olympic Campus, 1639 18th Street, Santa Monica) from August 16th to September 24th, 2021. Ho contemplates how identity is discussed through language and integrates her reflection into creation; hence, this exhibition explores the sense of belonging, nationality, and the complex and sometimes conflicted experience of Asian immigrants in the American discussion of racial identity. All are welcome to register online: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jennifer-chia-ling-ho-how-are-you-tickets-166083749967.
With the support from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Taiwan Academy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, Ho was selected for the artist-in-residence exchange program at the 18th Street Arts Center. Ho’s solo exhibition was inspired by her recent life living in the US and the concept of the exhibition was developed during her 3-month residency. Ho’s constant reminder of her identity as a Taiwanese and a foreigner is due to her accent and inability to speak “perfect” English. “How are you?” is one of the first sentences taught to non-English speakers; however, in a racially conscious society, the production and pronunciation of this sentence reveals deeper connotations than a simple casual greeting. This exhibition will feature Ho’s newest work “Check the Box,” an installation of five plaster sculptures–representing i, u, y, ə, and a, the five vowel-like sounds used in Mandarin Chinese –combined with mesh wire and file cabinets. The other work, “Nest,” is the extension of three previously created pieces, including “Here and There,” “On Display” and “In Proximity.” For more information, please visit: https://18thstreet.org/event/jennifer-chia-ling-ho-how-are-you/.
Ho will host an artist conversation, “Repeat After Me,” with special guests including Taiwanese artist Tzu-Huan Lin and two Los Angeles-based artists, Dan S. Wang and Siru Wen. They will share their experiences on communication and language learning. The video will be released on September 10th via the 18th Street Arts Center’s official Vimeo channel https://vimeo.com/18thstreetarts.
Jennifer Chia-ling Ho received her MFA in Sculpture from Pratt Institute, New York. Ho’s works reflect her experience of cultural displacement as she adapted to US society and encountered the textual history built in the Western context. In 2019, she co-founded “We Narrate Us,” a curatorial collective that aims to develop expanded methods and horizons to discuss Asian identity. Ho’s works were exhibited in New York and Taipei, and she is attending the residency at Vermont Studio Center in 2022.