Biqi Chen
BA Illustration and Visual Media - London College of Communication, 2021
Since birth, Biqi Chen has lived in a small town in China that is dominated by a feudalistic and patriarchal mindset. From a very young age she has felt the inequalities of being a woman, and it is her suffering that led to her interest in studying and promoting feminism.
Throughout her studies at the London College of Communication, feminism has been an ongoing area of research for Chen. Despite the seriousness and complexity of this subject, she hopes to show the objectification of women under the male gaze through a tongue-in-cheek approach and to express the ugliness of patriarchal society through satire.
The series included in Made in Arts London ostensibly exhibits the perspective of an innocent girl having a seemingly joyful day. The idea of men deciding what a woman can or cannot wear demonstrates that women’s aesthetics are often dominated by men, and the objectification of women as sexual objects by men furthers the concept that within society and the family, women are often used for sex and procreation. Additionally, men often hold the belief that women are ignorant, naïve and can be fooled easily. This uncovers the stereotype that women in society are always considered inferior to men in all their abilities and intelligence. Moreover, men often appear to respect women on the surface, but many still believe that women are weak and can be easily dominated by force, and this highlights the issue that within society and the family, men often choose to use violence as an outlet for their emotions or as a control mechanism to please themselves through the domination of weaker subjects.
Art comes from life. Biqi Chen’s work takes inspiration from real-life events, and she aspires to produce work relating to feminism and women’s rights to spread awareness on this topic and inspire other people.
Instagram: @ch33sick
"I want to highlight more social issues through my work and provide a platform for isolated women. If there is a utopia, I want to make money from my projects to buy a planet purely for women. "
