As a self-taught, unconventional, and whimsical artist, Cecilia Chiang does not believe in restrictions in art; her work spans across all mediums and all matters ranging from painted portraiture to sculpture. In terms of making art, Chiang believes that factors like degrees, age, interests, gender, or nationality do not matter as long as you have the courage to pick up a paintbrush and try.
When figuring out what to depict, Chiang does not have a specific goal in mind. “Flowers, insects, birds, fish, beasts, people, cartoons—anything can be my subject,” she says. In particular, Chiang prefers to portray animals instead of people in her work because they are pure and unpretentious. She also considers nature itself to be her teacher in art. Above all, she believes these loyal companions can show a more genuine side of themselves that humans cannot achieve.
Whiskers and Paws, an excerpt of Chiang’s nature-focused work, primarily serves as a nod to her childhood. While Chiang grew up in a large family of nine, she also had a cat and dog. As the children in the Chiang family grew older and became more independent – from moving away to becoming preoccupied with school – Chiang’s mother, lonely and hard-working, embraced the animals’ company. Their companionship often granted her a sense of solace from supporting the Chiang household.
Chiang’s freeform depictions of these animals are a testament to following your creative instincts, appreciating the innocence of nature’s creatures, and honoring the lesser-known “members” of Chiang’s family.
This exhibition is guest curated by Anika Sultana, MA’26, The Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at The University of Texas at Dallas, and Golsa Eghbali, MA’25, The Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at The University of Texas at Dallas.
About the Artist
Cecilia Chu Chiang was born in Beijing, China in 1934. The third among seven siblings, Cecilia fled mainland China when she was 12 with her family and settled in Taiwan for 35 years, where she pursued her education, helped contribute to her family’s well-being, and married her husband, fellow artist I-han Chiang (1925-2018). In 1971, Cecilia migrated to the United States, initially teaching Chinese at the University of Pennsylvania and Middlebury College in Vermont. However, Cecilia did not begin her painting career until the age of 50, when she was appointed to lead an extracurricular painting class in the summer at Middlebury College. Although she entered this teaching task with no painting experience, she would immerse herself in the arts with this opportunity, replicating images of nature alongside her students in her own fantastical style. Cecilia has produced art nearly daily since beginning, with her artistic expression knowing “no bounds in terms of subject matter.”