Sunny Moxin Chen (b.1996, Moscow) is a Chinese multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. Chen has shown works recently in Soil Gallery, Seattle, the Bridge Arts Foundation, Los Angeles, Soul Arts Center, Beijing, Erie Art Museum, Pennsylvania, The Distillery Gallery, Boston, etc. She won the “Best in Show” prize at Main Street Arts (NY) and has shown works at Abigail Ogilvy Gallery (MA), Morgan Lehman Gallery (NY), School of Visual Arts (NY), Fowler-Kellogg Art Center (NY), Piano Craft Gallery (MA) and so on. She was an artist-in-resident with full awards at Soaring Gardens, PA, and Chautauqua Institution, NY in 2022. She holds MFA in Painting from Boston University with the Merit Scholarship & Social Impact award and BFA dual degree in Painting & Studio for Interrelated Media from Massachusetts College of Art & Design with the Presidential Scholarship & George Nick Prize.
Thank you for joining us, Sunny. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Thank you for inviting me! I’m Sunny Moxin Chen (陳莫新), a multi-media artist who makes paintings, sculptural work, installations, and occasionally performances. I make art and also teach at the Queens Museum. I was born in Moscow, Russia, and raised there and later in Heilongjiang, China, then Beijing. In 2013, I came to the U.S. to finish high school in San Jose, California. Afterward, I moved to Boston for art schools, and moved to Brooklyn, New York in 2023.
How do you define your practice? What are you exploring in your projects?
My art is like a cartography of personal and collective memories, intertwining physical and imagined realms to explore the complexities of home, intimate relationships, and spiritual presence within physical spaces. Drawing from my multicultural background, I navigate the intricacies of identity through mixed media paintings. Colors, forms, and materials act as symbolic vessels for personal histories and cultural nomadism.
In a world marked by perpetual flux, my works seek to instill a profound sense of existence, belonging, and identity. Through my art, I engage viewers on a personal level, prompting introspection. My projects aim to create a dialogue between the individual and the universal, encouraging a deeper understanding of our shared human experience.
What is the most exciting project you’ve worked on during the past few years?
My first solo show, *Wandering Be-ing*, at Boston’s Distillery Gallery, was the most exciting project I’ve worked on. I loved the spacious gallery space, located on the first floor of an artist studios building. The concept of “be-ing” and “be-longing” was the guiding philosophy of the show, as I explored the fluidity of selfhood and the process of reconciling disparate aspects of identity. In addition to the artworks I had already created, I used diverse materials such as found objects and home construction materials from Home Depot to illustrate the ongoing search for the essence of “being” and “belonging.” I also invited a performance artist H. Gene Thompson whom I met in an art residency to collaborate with me during the opening. It was truly exciting!
I also want to share a curatorial project Surviving Together I have been working on which will be shown in A.P.E. Gallery, (Available Potential Enterprises, Ltd, a non-profit organization supporting contemporary artists working in all disciplines) from August 2nd to September 7th in North Hampton, MA (next to Smith College). There will be a reception on August 9, 5-8 pm with the local Art’s Night Out event.
What does “community” mean to you? How do you see yourself in a community?
We live in an increasingly complex society where everyone, regardless of their specific position, background, or identity, plays an important role. To me, community is like a rhizome system. It is a place that is supportive and full of exchange and creating opportunities for each other. I see myself as part of a community whose work is simultaneously personal yet contributes to a global sense of humanity, and what we are capable of in terms of self-expression, empathy, and communal empowerment. I’m eager to learn, exchange, and collaborate with the community. I believe my role as an artist is to inspire, connect, collaborate, and give.
What are you working on right now?
I’m working on a body of new paintings now. Last year I made an ambitious painting that was 12 feet long. Now I’m focusing on creating a group of relatively small to middle-size works that compose a wall. Each of them is a personal journey that echoes a collective experience to rebuild conceptions of self through environmental and experiential influences from the history and current moment while dismantling and rebuilding the boundaries that define us. Ultimately, my work is a reflection of the ongoing journey toward self-discovery and reconciliation, offering a space for contemplation, introspection, and collective healing.
Do you have any advice that you would offer to others?
Embrace your vulnerabilities and never give up on the things you believe in.
text & photo courtesy of Sunny Moxin Chen
- Website: moxinchen.art
- Instagram: @notsunnychen
