Bowers Museum was chosen to host Taiwanese artist Aka Chen’s first solo exhibition in the U.S., debuting 20 of his titanium and jewel sculptures in November.
Chen is one of the top artists working in titanium, which is known to be a very complicated metal to work with because of its strength and unpredictable iridescence, according to Bowers Chief Executive Seán O’Harrow.
The artist combines titanium with contemporary jewelry to create sculptures resembling brush paintings.
“It is one of the most abundant metals on the planet, but it’s virtually impossible to work because once it touches oxygen and oxidizes, it becomes a white powder,” O’Harrow told the Business Journal.
“To keep it as a metal, you have to be really careful to make sure there’s no oxygen when you’re working with it.”
The exhibit, titled The Eternal Garden, reflects Chinese philosophy and symbolism with Chen using the aesthetic elements of classical Chinese gardens in the art.
Chen positions each titanium piece, in the shapes of flowers, insects or birds embedded with gemstones, on top of branches and rocks also made of titanium and other materials that are then framed and lit as a picture.
In one sculpture called Soaring Beauty, Chen crafted models of his own pet birds using titanium, diamonds, sapphires, spinel and garnet on hard wood.
The gardens that Chen recreates in these vignettes are known in Chinese art history as a fusion of poetry, literature and painting in their landscapes, according to Chief Curator Tianlong Jiao.
The pieces are on display in the Susan and Stephen Chandler Gallery wing at the Santa Ana museum until April 13.
Contributions to the Art of Titanium
Chen, almost 60, established his Akachen jewelry studio in Taipei in 1989 and created his first titanium pieces in 1994. The artist regularly pulls art scenes from his daily gardening and Buddhist meditations.
“His pieces have garnered international acclaim, being showcased globally, collected by European royal families and worn by Hollywood celebrities,” the museum said in a statement.
“It was important for us just to capture a moment of his time to be able to do this exhibition,” O’Harrow said.
The artist is known to have developed several titanium processing techniques from sculpting at ultra-high temperatures to surface treatments using surgical knives underwater, according to Jiao.
The most distinctive contribution Chen has made when it comes to sculpting titanium is the color treatment. He alters the metal’s surface using a specific method of anodization so that the jewelry can reflect a greater variety of colors. While he can choose the colors from this spectrum, Chen has no control over which shades appear.
“This is sculpture, but it’s also verging on decorative arts in a way. So, it attracts people who are interested in beautiful things,” O’Harrow said. “I think people in Orange County are very aesthetically oriented. And his work is absolutely one of a kind.”
The exhibit is organized by Bowers with major support provided by the Taiwan Academy of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles and Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture.
Chairwoman Anne Shih along with her husband Long Shung and AUO Display Plus America Corp. were listed as supporters of the exhibit also.
