Field Review | Artist Interview Series
In conversation with
MEI CHI CHEN
Mei-Chi Chen (Mana) is a Taiwan-based intuitive artist working primarily with mixed media and symbolic painting. Growing up in Kaohsiung, her artistic journey did not originate from formal art education. Before the age of thirty, she had never imagined embarking on an artistic path, as she came from a non-artistic background and received no academic training in the arts. Her creative journey began through participation in a self-transformation group experience, which unexpectedly awakened her connection to intuitive painting and inner awareness. Through years of self-exploration, meditation, and the integration of emotional experiences, she gradually developed her own visual language, as if reconnecting with forgotten memories hidden deep within the soul. This profound awakening transformed the direction of her life and led her toward an artistic practice centered on the intuitive exploration of inner wisdom and perception.
From:
Taiwan
Artist Statement
Mana's practice is rooted in an ongoing exploration of consciousness, perception, and inner experience. Painting serves as a means of investigating how subtle states of awareness, emotions, and bodily sensations may be translated into visual form. Rather than working from predetermined compositions, she engages directly with the painting process, allowing lines, symbols, and images to emerge intuitively through sustained attention and immediate response. Meditation, concentrated awareness, and improvised vocalization are often incorporated into her practice, creating a dynamic interaction between sound, bodily rhythm, memory, and subconscious impulses. Through layering, repetition, and transformation, her works gradually develop into open visual fields that resist fixed narratives. Instead, they invite viewers to encounter ambiguity, introspection, and the fluid relationship between visible and invisible dimensions of experience. By embracing intuition and spontaneity, Mana seeks to cultivate a symbolic language capable of conveying interconnectedness, inner transformation, and the evolving nature of consciousness.
Tell us about yourself and your artistic background.
My name is Mei-Chi Chen, also known as Mana, and I am an intuitive artist from Taiwan working primarily with mixed media and symbolic painting.
I grew up in Kaohsiung and did not come from a traditional artistic background. Before the age of thirty, I never imagined that I would pursue an artistic path, as I had no formal art education or academic training in the arts. My journey into art began unexpectedly through participation in a self-transformation group experience, which awakened my connection to intuitive painting and inner awareness.
Through years of self-exploration, meditation, and emotional reflection, I gradually developed my own visual language, as if reconnecting with forgotten memories hidden deep within my soul. This profound awakening transformed the direction of my life and led me toward an artistic practice centered on the intuitive exploration of inner wisdom and perception.
Today, my work explores subconsciousness, memory, emotional transformation, and states of inner awareness. Through mixed media and symbolic painting, I seek to translate subtle inner experiences into visual forms and continue to investigate the relationship between intuition, consciousness, and human experience.
How would you describe your artistic practice?
I describe my artistic practice as an ongoing exploration of consciousness, perception, and inner experience through intuitive painting.
Rather than beginning with predetermined compositions or concepts, I enter the painting process with openness and sustained attention, allowing lines, symbols, textures, and images to emerge organically in response to subtle shifts in awareness, emotion, and bodily sensation. Meditation, concentrated awareness, and improvised vocalization often become part of my creative process, enabling sound, rhythm, memory, and subconscious impulses to interact intuitively with the act of painting.
Through layering, repetition, and transformation, my works gradually evolve into open visual spaces that do not seek to illustrate specific narratives. Instead, they function as experiential fields where intuition, memory, emotion, and inner energy intersect. I continue to cultivate a symbolic visual language that seeks to translate intangible states of consciousness and inner wisdom into perceptible visual forms.
I am Mei-Chi Chen, also known as Mana, an intuitive artist based in Taiwan working primarily with mixed media and symbolic painting.
I grew up in Kaohsiung and did not come from a traditional artistic background. Before the age of thirty, I never imagined that art would become the center of my life, as I had received no formal art education or academic training. My path into art emerged unexpectedly through participation in a self-transformation group experience, which awakened a deep connection to intuitive painting and inner awareness.
What themes or ideas are most important in your work?
The most important themes in my work are subconsciousness, inner wisdom, perception, and transformation. I am deeply interested in exploring how memories, emotions, bodily sensations, and subtle states of consciousness shape our inner experiences and influence the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us.
Rather than representing external reality, my paintings attempt to give visual form to experiences that are often invisible, intangible, or difficult to describe in words. I see painting as a way of listening inwardly and reconnecting with aspects of ourselves that may have been forgotten, suppressed, or overlooked.
At the core of my practice is a belief that every person possesses an innate inner wisdom. Through intuitive image-making, I seek to explore the fluid relationship between consciousness, memory, energy, and the subconscious, while reflecting on the interconnectedness between human beings, nature, and the unseen dimensions of existence.
What inspires your creative process?
My inspiration comes primarily from inner experiences rather than external subjects. Moments of meditation, dreams, emotions, bodily sensations, memories, and subtle shifts in consciousness often become the starting points of my paintings.
I am particularly interested in experiences that are difficult to explain through language—fleeting sensations, intuitive insights, and inner images that arise unexpectedly and disappear just as quickly. Inspiration may emerge during periods of silence, while listening to sound, engaging in spontaneous vocalization, or simply observing my emotional responses to everyday life.
For me, painting is not about illustrating a preconceived idea, but about entering into a dialogue with the unknown. Each work becomes a process of discovery, allowing hidden aspects of myself to surface and take form. In many ways, creating art feels like reconnecting with forgotten memories stored deep within the soul and trusting the wisdom that already exists within us.
Can you tell us about a recent artwork or project?
Recently, I have been developing a series of wearable artworks in the form of dress-like sculptures that explore feminine power and the connection between individual existence and life itself. By incorporating symbolic elements of life into these works, I seek to express the coexistence of strength and softness within women. I am interested in how women embody resilience, nurturing, transformation, and the capacity for renewal, and I regard these qualities as essential forces that connect us to the essence of life.
For me, wearable art not only extends the expressive possibilities of painting, but also allows the work to engage more directly with the human body. These pieces function as symbolic vessels carrying memories, emotions, and lived experiences, reflecting an ongoing dialogue between feminine consciousness, individual existence, and the energy of life.
What challenges have influenced your development as an artist?
One of the greatest challenges in my artistic journey has been coming from a non-artistic background and having no formal training in the arts. For a long time, I questioned whether I truly belonged in the art world and often had to rely on self-learning, experimentation, and intuition to develop my practice.
Another challenge has been limited financial resources, which have made it difficult to participate in physical exhibitions, residencies, or international events. As a result, I have focused on online exhibitions and international open calls as ways to share my work and connect with a broader audience.
At the same time, these challenges have taught me to trust my own path and creative process. Rather than seeing my unconventional background as a limitation, I have come to recognize it as a source of freedom that allows me to approach art without fixed expectations and to cultivate a visual language that is deeply personal and intuitive.
What role does art play in your life today?
Today, art is much more than a form of creative expression for me. It has become a way of life, a process of self-discovery, and a practice of listening inwardly.
Painting allows me to explore consciousness, emotions, memories, and subtle inner experiences that are often difficult to express through words. It helps me remain connected to my intuition, inner wisdom, and the constantly evolving relationship between myself and the world around me.
Art has also taught me to trust uncertainty, embrace transformation, and accept that not everything needs to be understood rationally. Through creating, I continue to learn about myself, deepen my awareness, and reconnect with aspects of my being that might otherwise remain unseen.
Today, I see art as a bridge between the visible and the invisible, between personal experience and universal human emotions. It is both a companion and a guide that supports my ongoing journey of growth, healing, and understanding.
What are you currently working on?
Currently, I am developing a series of wearable artworks in the form of dress-like sculptures that explore feminine power and the relationship between individual existence and life itself.
In this body of work, I incorporate symbolic life elements, organic forms, and intuitive imagery to express the coexistence of strength and softness within women. I am interested in how feminine energy embodies resilience, nurturing, transformation, and renewal, and how these qualities connect us to the essence of life.
By working with wearable art, I am extending my practice beyond two-dimensional painting and into a more embodied and spatial experience. These pieces function as symbolic vessels carrying memories, emotions, and life experiences, reflecting an ongoing dialogue between feminine consciousness, personal identity, and the vitality of life.
What are your future goals as an artist?
My future goal as an artist is to continue deepening my intuitive artistic practice and expanding my visual language through new materials, forms, and interdisciplinary approaches.
I hope to further develop my wearable art projects and create immersive experiences that connect painting, sculpture, the body, sound, and space. I am interested in exploring how art can become a medium for inner transformation, self-awareness, and a deeper connection with life.
At the same time, I would like to share my work with broader international audiences through exhibitions, artist residencies, and collaborative projects. Coming from a non-traditional artistic background, I hope my journey can encourage others to trust their own intuition and recognize that creativity can emerge at any stage of life.
Ultimately, I wish to continue creating works that resonate with people on an emotional and intuitive level, while remaining open to the unknown possibilities that artistic exploration may bring.
Where can readers follow your work?
Readers can follow my artistic journey and latest works through my Instagram account, where I regularly share new artworks, works in progress, and upcoming projects.
Instagram: @yulinghui1111
My portfolio and artist profiles can also be found on Circle Foundation for the Arts and ArtRewards:
Circle Foundation for the Arts:
https://circle-arts.com/member/mana/
ArtRewards:
https://www.artrewards.net/artists/chen-meiqi
I look forward to connecting with audiences, collectors, and fellow artists through exhibitions, collaborations, and future artistic exchanges.
