Supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Taiwan Academy of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Houston, the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) launched the exhibition “The Eternal Garden: Titanium Art by Aka Chen” on May 2.
The exhibition features nearly one hundred works created by Aka Chen (陳智權) that ingeniously combine the intricacies of contemporary jewelry with fluid compositions of brush paintings, presenting a new aesthetic that blends art and technology.
“The Eternal Garden” premiered at the Bowers Museum in California last November and was well-received by visitors. This year, the exhibition is being held at Houston from May through September. The opening ceremony on May 2 was attended by HMNS President and CEO Joel Bartsch, Bowers Museum Chairwoman Anne Shih (施劉秀枝), TECO in Houston Director General Yvonne Hsiao (蕭伊芳), and other distinguished guests.
Since first researching and fashioning jewelry from titanium in 1994, Aka Chen has been pioneering and marrying traditional metalworking techniques with innovative practices. His work has garnered international recognition, with his piece “Zen (禪)” becoming part of the permanent collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in the U.K.
The Taiwan Academy in Houston stated that the exhibition not only showcases Taiwan’s innovation in the field of craft but also reflects the country’s cultural richness and diversity.
The exhibition runs until Sept. 28. For more information, visit the HMNS official website.
(Photo credit: Taiwan Academy of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston)