


Kehan Wan
2021, Sterling Silver, Copper, 17”x 17”x 4.5”, photo credit to Kehan Wan
“In this era of information explosion, we are categorized and filtered by databases. Because of this constant flow of information is more easily exchanged between different cultures and countries. Meanwhile we feel safer but the exchange comes at a cost that our privacy is eroded.
My work combines objects and jewelry into small installation piece. From the bird-eye view this installation appears as a maze pattern, which refers of mysterious. From the side view its toy-like elements in our daily life that recreating a miniature world. Audiences need to use magnifier to see the details. I use metal as my main material. Metal compare to other materials because of it is long lasting and stable. However, I pierced them into small delicate pieces, so they become fragile. In this case, the combination of fragility and scale of this miniature world give a sense of dominated by external power. The toy-like elements create a playfulness feeling that people can rearrange the world, which means the world is being controlled. On account of the big data can analyze and record all the information so the format can give a sense of being observed and even we thought we live in the maze but we do not have privacy.”

Kehan Wan earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in jewelry metal art with distinction at California College of the Arts, where she also did an internship with jewelry artist Curtis H. Arima. Her solo senior show, In this era of Anxiety, was exhibited at CCA. Currently, she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Metal at the State University of New York at New Paltz, where she worked as recruitment and promotions graduate assistant for a year. Her thesis show, In this Era of Big Data, was exhibited as an online show in SUNY New Paltz. Her works combine
objects and jewelry into a maze-like pattern small installation to express the concept of living in the world and being controlled by databases. The combination of fragility and scale of this miniature world she creates gives a sense of being dominated by external power. Inviting the audience to obverse the world from diverse perspectives to explore the world we live in.