Since receiving a Masters of Fine Arts in Photography from Ohio University, Mei Mei Chang has been activately exhibiting nationally and internationally since the late nineties, creating pieces inspired by the mysteries of the human psyche.  Her mixed media, paintings, photography and works on handmade paper serve as “maps of the mind”, bridging the often overlooked connections between Eastern and Western cultures.  Take a look at Mei Mei’s Q + A:

When did you first begin painting? And what did those early creations look like?

I began painting early in my childhood in Tapei, Taiwan. I was inspired by the landscape, packs of street dogs, and the faces of my family and people about town.  Painting was then and remains my emotional release, my mode of analyzing and connecting to the world.

Who or what is your muse?

I don’t have a specific person or thing that serves as my muse: it can be a pattern on a tree leaf, someone’s scarf on the subway, the shop girl’s cornrows, a certain look my son gives me. As a multi-media artist, I take my inspiration from everything and everyone.  I file images away in some corner of brain, and access them later on, unconsciously, when I paint.

Your “Circle” series is so narrative.  What inspired it?

I was inspired by the continuum of the circle: it has no beginning and no end. It is eternal. In addition, I wanted to play with the shape because Western art is so dominated by the square. When you look at traditional Chinese paintings, they come in all shapes and sizes, including circles.

What have been the most important lessons you have learned about yourself through painting? What have you learned about others?

My artistic process is very intuitive and emotional. I do not begin with a set idea of what path a particular piece is going to take. It is a journey, where I am taking in external information, deconstructing, and digesting it, to create my vision. Similarly, life is about the journey, and from my paintings I have learned to follow my own voice, or sometimes question my voice, when I look at my work, and see the emotions that have come out of me onto the paper. My paintings are like pages from my diary. I learn about the people in my life or even the people I see on the street, and how I relate to them, to their humanity (or lack of humanity), and how we interconnect (or fail to connect).

Some artists use certain music or a specific time of day as a creative catalyst.  Do you have a ritual or certain practices that get you in a creative mood?

I don’t really listen to music when I paint. I feel like music blocks out my inner rhythms. I can sketch anywhere, even on public transportation. For me, painting can be a very intense process. Sometimes, I meditate beforehand, I wash my hands, I burn incense. But when I am really moved to paint, I shut everything out, I forget to eat, I loose track of time and space, and the intensity of my emotions takes over, and I just unload what I’m feeling onto the canvas. 
 
What new projects, series, or exhibits are you working on or will be a part of?

I will be having a solo exhibition at an art space in Spring 2010 in Takoma Park, MD. I will also be featured in the May 2010 issue of Studio Visit Magazine. In June 2010, I will be collaborating with other local artists on an exhibit focused on women’s issues. I am currently working on a series of installations that incorporate ink drawings, newspaper printing tape, and other multi-media.

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Thanks so much Mei Mei! Check out www.meimeichang.com.