“When I was really little, I wanted to be one of those stackable chairs you’d see in like a school auditorium,” Felicia Chiao says. “I thought they looked cozy.” This childhood memory is the basis for a playful drawing in which Chiao’s signature characters mound atop one another. Layering reigns in this imagined world as calendars and clocks emerge from the wall in dense piles, while stacks of books and dishes rest on the floor.
Chiao is known for her warm illustrations that capture emotion and the variances of mental health through surreal, flower-filled scenes. Working in pencil, ink, and watercolor, the artist renders compositions that feel both timeless and indicative of our current age, in which the anxieties and tribulations of life today emerge through curious characters.
Alongside her largely domestic scenes, Chiao has also been adding to her growing collection of Lunar New Year drawings, which feature the animal of the year set against a gilded and crimson backdrop.
Play and constraint also figure prominently into the artist’s approach. “I did a very cool collaboration with Heath Ceramics last year, and while it was a completely different medium than what I am used to, I think it has influenced my drawing process,” she says. “I’ve been experimenting with more mixed media (watercolor, color pencil, markers, sometimes a little gouache or gel pen).” The mats for frames are similar, as she enjoys the challenge of customizing the otherwise stark white material to complement her works.
This October, Chiao will open a solo show with Harman Projects and has several exhibitions slated for the coming years. She offers a variety of prints through her shop, and you can keep up with her latest works and collaborations on Instagram.
