Asia Art Center is pleased to announce the new Artist Residency Programme with American artist Katja Farin as the first participant. The residency will take place in the historic fishing village Nanfangao, Yilan County.As a major base for coastal fishing as well as being the third largest fishing town in Taiwan, the port of Nanfangao has gone through multiple expansions since it was first built in 1923, and it generates vital incomes for the local economy. Katja Farin will enjoy the opportunity to explore the surroundings as part of the community and take inspiration from a town largely centred around the harbour.
This residency programme provides the participating artists with the rare opportunity to live and work in a town rich in history yet unknown to most foreign visitors. They will be able to work in a studio close to the port of Nanfangao, away from the hustle and bustle of Taipei City, yet still within easy access to the museums and vibrant art scene in the capital.
Best known for their figurative paintings which investigate the unconscious mind, the collective unconscious and the personal, the seemingly expressionless protagonists in Farin’s works are often depicted in vibrant colours and theatrical settings. The compositions invite the viewers to peek into the dreamlike dysphoric spaces these androgynous figures embody.
The works created during the residency period are to be included in Farin’s upcoming solo exhibition titled Blind Spot, opening on Sat 14th September at Asia Art Center. This will be the artist’s first solo exhibition in Asia.
Farin received a BA in Fine Art from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2018 and is a candidate for a MFA degree from the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Selected solo exhibitions include Friends Indeed (San Francisco), Era Gallery (Milan), Lubov (New York) and in lieu (Los Angeles). Their art has been included in group exhibitions at Pace Gallery (Hong Kong), Alexander Berggruen (New York), Beers (London), Wilding Cran (Los Angeles) and Nicodim (Los Angeles). They live and work in Los Angeles, CA and London, UK.
