Friday, September 12, 2014

WeMerge Hits The Streets: Jessica Gwen profile by Rolando Chang Barrero



WeMerge Magazine 
Issue 3, WM20, Volume 7 | 2014


Jessica Gwen

Concept and Video Artist Claims Human Condition as Subject of Interest!


The in you face concept artist Jessica Gwen wants you to know who she is and what she stands for. Born in Hong Kong, schooled in England at a boarding academy, she refers to as “Hogwarts”, Jessica is defiantly getting much attention in her new home here in America.

Jessica Gwen’s recent installation; a ‘Franken-cow’ titled “Molly” raised brows and breakfast. The silicon sculpture, a hairy carcass of production milk cow of our near future, astonished even the anti-GMO crowd that flocked to see her work at a recent viewing at ActivistArtistA Gallery.

“For some artists, art is a very personal thing, it’s a virtuoso expression of feelings.” Says Ms. Gwen. For Gwen having lived three in cultures, three continents, and being an outsider trained in architecture. She claims to take on the role of an observer with certain rational composure.
“There is always a level of objectivity in my art which is by and large in its conceptualization that is subsequently manifested by an array of medium, be it architectural, video, computer graphics, fashion, sculpture.”
A graduate of The Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow, her work is interactive with its viewers in ways that it is always thought provocative and embedded with meanings. Whether it is a social/political critique or a benign riddle, the concepts of her work linger in the minds of the viewer.

Gwen states, “I think art should get under our skin, move us to tears, scare us to death, make us high. Such is the distinction between art and decoration.”

After 10 years of living in Europe, she once again estranged in her home town due to the lack of a progressive art scene and the hectic chicken cage Hong Kong lifestyle she move to America.

As an artist, an observer, She feels that what she has to offer to this country is “art with a philosophical disentanglement of the social/political stalemate” and she’s living up to the challenge. “I’m fascinated with the human condition!” She says with a grin.

Other Stories in this issue:

Explosive and Magical: Ruben Ubiera






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