Vivian Chiu - Barrel Stool

Vivian Chiu's series, "Passages (those that carried us)," was developed after the artist was gifted historic crates from Wing on Wo & Co., the oldest continuously operating storefront in Manhattan's Chinatown.

Chiu has carefully and methodically dismantled and reassembled the crates into the undulating forms of the ceramic vessels they once carried. She developed a novel faceting technique to preserve the crates' original stamps, which trace their procession from Hong Kong to the United States, the same path of migration shared by both the artist's family and the family owners of Wing on Wo & Co. In this way, the works materially reflect and pay homage to the intergenerational experiences of their stewards.

ABOUT VIVIAN CHIU

Vivian Chiu was born in Los Angeles and emigrated to Hong Kong at the age of three. Her interests in creating objects and the visual arts led her to attend the Rhode Island School of Design (BFA '11 Furniture Design) and Columbia University (MFA '19 Sculpture). With an aptitude for problem-solving and a sensitivity towards materials, Vivian utilizes a continuous deconstruction and reconstruction process to create optical sculptures that explore ideas of visibility and perception.