Chinatown Block Watch
Chinatown Block Watch portrays the iconic corner of Chinatown occupied by Nom Wah Tea Parlor, a 15-minute walk from the gallery. Populating the painting are volunteers who established a community patrol group to forestall rising hate crimes at the start of the pandemic. Prominently featured among the volunteers is Karlin Chan, the founder of Chinatown Block Watch, gazing vigilantly off-canvas. Emblazoned on the street’s black asphalt is the “Stop Chinatown Jail” entreaty, a reference to activism opposing a controversial jail expansion plan. Much of the pleasure in viewing this painting lies in that immediate affinity of meeting someone from the same place as you. The allure of Chinatown lies in its promise of familiarity, delivered through hearty and cheap meals, fresh produce, and other people who speak the mother tongue. Chen’s painting is generous with these details: Candy-like lanterns dangle above the street, oranges roll out onto the curb, and mouth-watering buns and pastries present themselves for the taking.
Susan Chen
Chinatown Block Watch, Oil on canvas, 74” x 84”, 2022
Chinatown Block Watch (detail), Oil on canvas, 74” x 84”, 2022
Chinatown Block Watch (detail), Oil on canvas, 74” x 84”, 2022
Chinatown Block Watch (detail), Oil on canvas, 74” x 84”, 2022
Susan Chen
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susanmbchen.com
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susanmbchen.studio@gmail.com
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My current paintings respond to the lack of Asian/Asian American representation in portraiture within our Western art institutions (particularly in modern and contemporary art). I wanted to question the idea of visibility, or invisibility – who gets honored and remembered in history, and who gets erased or forgotten. I was further inspired by the social media phenomenon of subtle asian traits, a Facebook group of over 2 million Asians living across the diaspora, yearning to feel a greater sense of inclusion or belonging. Believing that figurative work has the ability to empower one’s sense of self-worth, and with Asian Americans living in a society that rarely shows their faces in everyday media, I set out to paint these portraits as small efforts to help a community feel like they are part of a greater social conversation.
Susan Chen is an artist searching for the meaning of home. Through painted portraiture, Chen investigates the psychology of race and concepts of community, immigration, prejudice, identity, family, longing, love, and loss. She takes a strong interest in the lived experiences of her sitters, who are currently members of the Asian diaspora Chen finds through the Internet and paints in person and via Zoom. Since 2019, Chen has collaborated with over 70 different sitters in the studio. She is curious to discover how painting can be used to survey communities at work and is driven by the political potential of figurative painting to enact social change through increased visibility and representation.