Generally, with each new work that she creates, her goal is to push her work forward, so it is continually evolving. Having read an article about the significance and symbolism of Chinese knots, macramé seems to date back to 13th century Arabia, but knots in Chinese culture date as far back as the 3rd Century. I asked Windy if there was any symbolism in the work that she makes. “While most knots are functional workhorses, China, Korea, and Japan have a vast, rich, and storied history of decorative knotting. Asian knots often symbolize concepts such as happiness, longevity, and luck. Others are figurative, such as those depicting the dragonfly, butterfly, and fish. While the viewer’s interpretation is the one that matters most, my own desire is to depict the knots as aesthetic objects in their own right, which intersects with the functional uses and symbolic interpretations originating cultures have attached to them. It’s the intersection that fascinates me.” As this article is for the San Francisco issue, it seemed like a good idea to ask Chien what she loves most about living there. “This is the most open-minded, freethinking place in America. The Bay Area is filled with glorious freaks, artists, musicians, and out-there tech people. Yes, tech people. I mean, at one point Steve Jobs walked around barefoot and was a fruitarian! I felt this more strongly in decades past, of course, but some of us are still here and thriving.” Chien is currently preparing for a solo show at Sarah Shepard Gallery in San Francisco. Then she is traveling to the world’s premier studio craft biennial in Cheongju, South Korea. “This will involve two weeks of quarantine before I can even install the work. Should be quite an adventure.”
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