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Modern Fuel

Meet Ann Decker and Linghui Jin, Coalesce Residency Artists

Updated: Aug 1

A Feminine Reverie: Dancing with Nature, a collaborative collage work by Decker and Jin, explored ideas of artistic intertwinedness and beauty in femininity. This dialogue between the artists tells us about their process as participants in the Coalesce Residency from April 2nd - 30th, 2024.


Artists Ann Decker and Linghui Jin | 📷 Oyíndàmólà Àlàkà, Modern Fuel


Decker: How did collaborating with another artist impact your perspective on art and creativity?


Jin: This collaborative experience enriched my understanding of the creative. Working with you (Decker) provided me with fresh ideas and new drawing skills that I would not have tried on my own. Through our discussions, we navigated different artistic styles and approaches. The most important was that collaboration encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, take risks, and explore new ideas in my artistic practice.


Jin: What did the Coalesce Residency mean to you as an artist?


Decker: The residency was an opportunity to explore ideas with another artist and learn from each other. What a gift to get out of my own head and share with another! I really wanted to establish time for art. Getting together on a regular basis helped me do that. I became bolder knowing I had a fellow artist to try new skills with.


Decker: What was new for you in this collaborative experience?


Jin: One of the most intriguing parts of this collaborative experience was the seamless transition between digital and physical realms. Typically, my artistic practice focused on digital drawing on the computer, so working with tangible mediums like acrylic on wood boards and experimenting with ceramics during the residency was a refreshing departure from my usual practice. It allowed me to explore textures, depths, and nuances in ways that simply aren't possible in the digital world. This fusion of traditional and digital techniques opened up a whole new dimension of creativity and expression for me, enriching my artistic journey in unexpected ways.


A Feminine Reverie: Dancing with Nature | 📷 Oyíndàmólà Àlàkà, Modern Fuel


Jin: What approach did you have towards developing the artwork?


Decker: In the Coalesce Residency, we didn't’ meet until the start of April, and we didn't have preconceived ideas about the project. Our approach was totally organic. We chatted, got to know each other a little. You (Jin) set up a Miro Board online – like sticky notes on a whiteboard – where we could add photos, text, videos, and random thoughts. Our ideas morphed into an overall direction with each studio visit. We chose collage and we worked on four panels each, and in our own ways. Occasionally, we put the panels together to check our progress. We wanted the work to be an adventure, and to reveal itself as an artwork as we went along. The collage transformed from painting to sculpture, then to painting again, with folding and unfolding, and hiding and revealing.


Decker: What themes or messages do you hope to convey through this collaborative artwork?


Jin: The theme I wish to deliver through our work is the relationship between women and nature. My experiences here in Kingston have been deeply intertwined with nature: the solar eclipse; the sometimes annoying but cute rabbits in my backyard; the bird family that once built a nest in my front door holly wreaths; and the big lake. My wonderful encounters with these left an indelible impression on me, and made me think about the interconnectedness between women and the natural world. On my boards, I created scenes of moon, flower, wind, and snow. all juxtaposed alongside the woman’s body. These four elements resonate with a Chinese idiom, 风花雪月, depicting the beauty of the four seasons. Each element served as a symbolic representation of different facets of femininity and nature’s ever-changing beauty.


Jin: What did you like about working with another artist (me!) on a project that we both designed?


Decker: It was a shared experience. It was a good to exchange ideas with another artist. I think we were more adventurous together. We created a unique artwork that I don’t think we would have made without each other. And I love saying, “our artwork”! Our individuality and our togetherness were intertwined to create something new and exciting. Thank you to you, Linghui, and Modern Fuel for making this happen.

 

The Coalesce Residency was a month-long residency designed to engage and challenge creators, and connect the Kingston artist community together. Artists were randomly grouped together as a collective to create new works. The goal was to offer an incubator for innovation, skill sharing, experimentation, and network building.


Ann Decker is a Kingston-based artist and holds a Bachelor of Arts in 3D Contemporary Craft from the University of York in 2009, and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from York St. John University in 2017. Her artistic practice includes painting, drawing, and sculpture.


Linghui Jin is a multidisciplinary visual artist and is pursuing her PhD in Cultural Studies. Through illustrations and storytelling, her artistic practice explores the intersection of comics, war history, and women’s experiences to ignite conversations, evoke empathy, and provoke introspection.


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