Serena Chang

Sweet Water marks New York-based artist Serena Chang’s (b. 1989, Queens, NY) debut solo exhibition with Island. The installation transforms the gallery into a hauntingly poetic sugarcane ghost forest. Constructed from sheer nude hosiery stretched across translucent plastic sheeting and steel rod armatures, the spectral sugarcane stalks emerge as semi-transparent, skeletal figures. Upon entering, viewers are enveloped in a richly layered narrative, where interconnected works weave together memory, labor, and lineage. A collage of packaging molds and diaphanous hosiery forms the backdrop for a hypnotic video montage, its imagery flowing between the rhythmic motions of Taiwan’s hosiery factories and delicate sketches inspired by the artist’s father’s childhood memories. This visual journey is accompanied by a textured soundscape—a symphony of mechanical hums, insect calls, and whispers of nature—that blurs the boundaries between industry and intimacy. Nearby, a framed collage of fragile hosiery captures the ephemeral essence of memory and craftsmanship, merging materiality with familial connection to evoke a poignant memento of heritage. Anchoring the installation is a drawing of a sugarcane field, rooted in the father’s recollections, which grounds the space in personal and historical landscapes, offering a quiet homage to the bittersweet legacy of sugarcane cultivation and its intertwined stories of prosperity, struggle, and cultural identity.

—Do Tuong Linh