Daily Inspiration: Meet Jason Chai

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Chai.

Hi Jason, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in Hangzhou, China, I came to the States for my bachelor’s degree in media from UCSD, and I am currently in my first year of the master’s program of fine art at the California Institute of the Arts. Coming from a family of shop owners, I inherently picked up the habit of observing and interacting with what is around me, which has manifested itself as the dominant part of my artistic practice. My family was surprisingly supportive when it came to the decision to pursue an art degree as the first member in the family to pursue any higher education. I first started with experimental videography, then shifted to mainly digital photography and collage during the pandemic, and have been tapping into working more spatially with installations.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been some bumps along the way. Like all international students or non-native English speakers, language and culture were one of the biggest barriers throughout. It was extremely difficult when I first started art classes, where it felt like being sucked into and drowning in a sea of artistic jargon and words I would have to look up. I have gotten better at understanding and finding the right words to express myself, but yet I still reach for my dictionary while I am writing this. Despite the linguistic and cultural barrier along with some occasional homesickness, another obstacle was probably finding my voice and who I am as an artist. It took me some time to get to understand how I get inspired artistically and get familiar with working interdisciplinarily.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Chinese interdisciplinary artist currently based in Los Angeles, and the majority of my work roots in different aspects of identity, such as personal identity, queerness and gender, and family, etc. A lot of my inspiration comes from my personal experience, which is why I see my work as a response to the world around me. Coming from a media background allows me to experiment with different mediums and adopt the one I feel is the most intimate and appropriate. I want my work to function as a bridge that connects the bubbles of perception between me and the audience so that they could get a peek into my head space and feel what I felt, and maybe gain a new perspective about something. Meanwhile, my Chinese cultural background also provides me with the opportunity of having another point of view on the same subject matter. Sometimes, my inspirations originate from a Chinese context, but I think the sentiments that the artwork instigates would be universal, regardless of their cultural background. I aspire that my art can connect art, social life and human emotions.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think any art-making is a risk being actively taken. The artist is always attempting to find the best way to express themselves, and there are so many choices being made, whether conceptually or formally. There is always the hope that it would work at the very end of an artist’s decision. Human perception is so unique and exclusive that the artists are always gambling that the choice would be effective and pay off. At the same time, risks exist for us to find new possibilities. Someone may never know they are good at painting until they pick up the brush. Taking a risk is just like trying on a new shirt that isn’t your usual style. If it doesn’t work, you might just end up with a dreadful photo, but you always have your other jackets to fall back on. However, you might as well be the star of the party if it looks spectacular on you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/zengjie_chai?igshid=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA==
• Email: [email protected]