Water in Incubation

Water is a recurring element in the space series, as water carries a unique meaning for her. For Chen, water represents the "unknown," something that is both attractive and intimidating. Despite being fascinated by water's mirror-like reflection, she also has a slight fear of it because she can't swim. In Incubation, water is used as a material to divide the two worlds and isolate them from each other. When asked about the net shape in the artwork, Chen explained that it was actually the pattern of “leaf veins” that she deliberately used as a symbol of water. It is because she believes that the veins of plants are similar to water patterns, and such an illustration can create the possibility to be misunderstood. She enjoys the created ambiguity to lead to different interpretations.

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The artwork is interpreted differently by Ho, who sees the ink-colored mesh in the middle of the painting as a "safety net.” Ho referred it as a protective measure that could be found in the atrium of a high-rise building. She said the net is depicted as an image that “can catch a newborn child.” Ho further reference to Chen's experience, “She may have met people from different places and made friends with various backgrounds during the creative process. Although everyone's situation is different, they all pursue similar goals in the same environment. Therefore, I believe that if people can be a safety net for each other in pursuit of their goals, they will feel more secure.” In contrast to Chen's more negative motivations and relatively neutral attitude presented, Ho possesses a more positive attitude towards the work.

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Protective Shield in Tortuous

In Tortuous, Chen described the the white semicircle in the center of the piece represents a “protective shield." However, she ultimately chose not to make the figure of the shield too apparent. Instead, she added more branches to make the protective cover less complete. On the one hand, she was unwilling to let the crooked plants be safely placed in the glass, and on the other hand, she wanted to create a sense of staggered depth in the space. Chen explained, "At the beginning, I wanted to draw a cover that could shield this irregular plant that had been affected by the environment and forced itself to change from a general tree shape to this one. This is because I thought the shield will want to be an umbrella, and protect the tree. But as I continued drawing and painting, I felt that this form of protection was just one of the 'choices.' While the plant has chose to force itself into a distorted form, perhaps it does not need and does not want such thorough protection."

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Chen prefers to express her experiences through imaginative and vague means, leaving space for the audience to interpret. This ambiguity allows for different readings of the artwork, as Ho demonstrates with her own interpretation—even it is not well-organized. Ho developed her thoughts, ”If the light is shot from the front, there should be shadows of branches. But there are no shadows in the picture, so it should be halo appear behind the tree. It has enabled the focus on this black tree. I thought what is shining on the winding road. Is that hope?”