Public spaces are places where people socialize, play, traverse on their daily commutes, and take breaks from their busy lives. Following my belief that public spaces should feel welcoming, complex, and reflective, I create site-specific sculptures that are variously whimsical, clever, irreverent, and engaging on a bodily level. While dedicated viewers will uncover layers of research and meaning in my forms, my work should also brighten the days of passersby who afford the work only a cursory glance.
My practice begins with a keen observation of buildings or elements of the built landscape that are visually intriguing but often overlooked by occupants of the place. I investigate the building or site marker by researching its history and present usage, frequently visiting archives or libraries and speaking with people whose lives intersect with the space. I believe becoming familiar with a place is integral to capturing its uniqueness and charm in public sculpture. I derive the form of my work directly from the site, often mimicking, exaggerating, or subverting pre-existing architectural or artistic styles in unexpected ways. For example, I recreated four Victorian columns from the historic Peter Green House in Providence, RI, and I positioned them to look like they were walking down the street to the house’s former location.
Though I convey a strong point of view and enjoy telling stories about the past, my work is never meant to be didactic. In reanimating or remixing the built landscape, I invite viewers to consider more closely and conscientiously the texture of their environments, and to revel in the historical, the delightful, the bizarre.
Watch me talk more about my work here.
—Naya Lee Chang, 2024