CHIEN Chun-Shan was born in Taipei in 1985. She graduated from the Tai-Tung Normal University with a bachelor degree in Art and Crafts Education and the University of New South Wales with a master degree in Art and Administration. Selected by Tai-Tung Youth Art Award and Tai-Tung Art Quality Award in 2006. Invited to participate in the Artist Residency Program with World of Co. in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Her early works were full of isolated feelings with masks as a symbol of defences. Later on, she changes her focus from this mental conflict to inner peace. Through several life-changing events, including studied oversea, a move back to Taiwan, break-ups, glaucoma diagnosed, career change in her life, she eventually saw what really supports her during the tough times of her life - the inner strength comes from the power of the self-love. The awareness of the power of the self-love and the focusing of inner power is what makes her rising above those outer obstacles and understand the outer environment was a part of our inner projection.

Since she was a child, she was fond of the story-based oriental philosophy, such as Zhuangzi. From the inspiration of the story that 'Zhuang Zhou had a dream that he was a butterfly', she discovered a certain similarity between the shape of a tree is the same as the structure of a piece of a rose petal. In her opinion, these repetitive coincident patterns have a meaning behind, like a sacred seal in nature. At the same time, discovering the pattern of the placenta is also like a tree was proof that people are no different from other parts of nature. 'The Great Dao flows everywhere, at our every left to the right'(Dao De Jing, Section 34) also reinforce her the assumption that everything in this world is connected: each living creature holds the same spirit.
If we regard to the structure of the plant as its spirit, and then what is this spiritual part of human beings? What makes a simple plant stand out and glowing?

In terms of the petal research project, it maybe seems like I only focus on drawing the structure of the tree, but in a more in-depth way, I want to showcase the power of the inner spirit. When I saw the structure of a petal or the structure of a leaf, I saw its strength that each existing life form, including humans beings, on the earth has the inspiring spirit too.

Like a simple plant, you are powerful by simply being you. You don't need to be others.

In the Universe, everything is from the Original Nature.
Even inside the leaf, you can see there is a little inner universe.

Stories from the Zen Buddhism
Because my parents are Buddhists, I used to listen to a lot of Zen Buddism stories in my childhood. These stories give me an initial inspiration to draw out my assumption and my imagination of Original Nature*.
“When Huineng was lecturing, the banner flies by the wind. Two of his students saw this, and then they argued whether was banner moves or the wind moves? Huineng interrupted their argument and said: ‘it is neither due to the motion of the wind, nor to the motion of the banner, but simply to the motions of your own mind.’ (The Dharmic Treasure Altar-Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch', 'the Wind or Banner ', p. 24)
‘all the Dharmas are actually not dissociated from the Original Nature.’(The Dharmic Treasure Altar-Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch', p. 17)
Based on the above -mentioned. If everything is from the Original Nature, then it would spontaneously be shown in nature again and again. Subconsciously, the concept of this Original Nature has a huge influence on my the initial motivation to recreate these repetitive plant-based patterns.
*Innate Essence: also called Original Nature. 性、本性

collecting and observing petals
collecting and observing petals
dry for 2-3 days, then sealed it
dry for 2-3 days, then sealed it
preserve the dry petal and its smell
preserve the dry petal and its smell
Inspiration from poems and other references.​​​​​​​
When you look closer to the pattern on these petals and then you will find somehow the similarity also exists among other plants. From my perspective, the research of this project is like finding the rhyme of nature and the rhymes of the structure of life.
"This is the recipe of Life 
Said, my mother
As she held me in her arms as I wept
Think of those flowers you plant in the garden each year
They will teach you
That people too 
Must wilt
Fall
Root 
Rise 
In order to bloom."
-Rupi Kaur( 2017),' the sun and her flowers'
Her poem also inspires me to seek for the Original Nature* from nature. The life of each existing creature of this plant is equal. A plant can be a mirror of the life of a human. Utilising the structure of plants as a reference to recreate this line-based drawing on paper is also a way to reconnect me of this inner power, which Zen Buddhists called the Original Nature.
In the petal project, drawing the sacred shape of plants, collecting the petals, and capture the petal image as a reference is the ritual for me to compliment the power of life.
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