Kuangb.1999
kawen.h.kuang@gmail.com
Kawen Kuang is a Chinese-born artist who immigrated to NYC in her teenage years. She immersed herself in the vibrant art scenes in New York through several reputable institutions, including working as an intern at the Met Museum, being a fellow at Smack Mellon Gallery, Sculpture Center in LIC, and ICP (International Center of Photography).
She then received her BFA at SUNY College at Purchase where she found great passions for drawing, painting and ceramic sculpting. Since graduation, she has been honing her craft and developing her voice at Greenwich House Pottery in Manhattan. Her work now spans across painting and ceramic sculpting to channel emotions and provide solace in the uncertainty of a post-pandemic world.
Artist Statement
My art serves as a healing passage, channeling sorrow into solace. Beneath the surface of depression lies a world erupting with vivid colors and unstoppable energy.
Over years of navigating depression, I’ve developed a self-defense mechanism that numbs my ability to release emotions through tears. My character, Teary Girl, cries for me. In times of depression episodes, she flies away from reality for me — floating above lush grasslands, with violet flowers blooming under a starry night, mountains and farmlands descend into star-filled skies, glowing with warmth and comfort.
My process begins with fluid watercolor explorations where emotions are first poured onto paper. These initial sketches then evolve into sculptural forms, where clay becomes a medium of metamorphosis, pulling intense emotions into tangible, inhabitable spaces.
I’m deeply drawn to the boldness of Y2K aesthetics and the vibrant, fast-paced energy of Korean pop music. The overstimulation these genres evoke mirrors my own inner turbulence, resonating with my anxious, easily distracted Gen Z brain. My work reflects not only my personal struggles but also the broader challenges of my generation: navigating the uncertainty of the digital age, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the looming shadow of economic instability.
Through my art, I seek to balance despair with hope, monotony with vibrancy, and chaos with beauty—capturing the complexities of being a young artist in a world that feels both overwhelming and full of possibility.