Tracing the Light | Emerging Forms

| Preserving the fluid states within the light |

Glass, at high temperatures, becomes fluid. As temperature rises and time progresses, it morphs—stretching, draping, and layering. When it cools, these transient states are captured permanently.

May Chen has extensively used glass as her creative medium to explore its shifting states between fluidity and solidification. Experimenting with techniques such as pulling stringers, layering, and manipulating colors, she incorporates white lines into transparent glass structures or lets colors gradually blend and overlap inside the glass.

Although these shapes are unstable during production, they become permanent within the glass once finished, acting as snapshots of time. Some resemble textile structures, while others preserve forms resulting from unrestrained transformation.

| Light is an integral part of the works |

As the viewer moves, light and shadow change accordingly. The textures, layers, and colors in the glass gradually appear or fade, making viewing a perceptual experience that unfolds over time.

For the artist, glass is more than just a material; it functions as a medium that embodies both state and time. Changes are captured in its transparency, waiting to be revealed by light and seen by the viewer.

Focusing on glass vessels and objects, the exhibition uses structures, layering, and varying levels of transparency to portray how light moves across these glass objects, allowing them to be discovered in everyday light.