Artist Bio
Sam Hsieh is a conceptual artist and designer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Master of Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Raised in the American South with ancestral ties to the Indigenous Paiwan people of southern Taiwan, Hsieh draws from a transitory upbringing between Arkansas, California, and Taiwan—experiences that shape her exploration of identity, displacement, and cultural memory.
With a background in both fine art and architecture, Hsieh investigates modes of representation to reframe the spatial and symbolic significance of everyday objects, particularly within domestic environments. Her current body of work focuses on reinterpreting domestic Taiwanese objects, examining how material culture carries stories across generations and geographies.
Artist Statement
My work explores domestic spaces and the complex emotions tied to nostalgia—a dual experience of returning home and yearning for what has been lost. Having navigated a transient existence that challenges a singular understanding of home, my practice examines the interplay of time and space. By "unstitching" the layered concept of home woven into the past, I implant these memories into the unfamiliarity of the present. This process creates a tension between the idealized dream of home and the realities of everyday life.
The making process in my work is ritualistic and repetitive, utilizing methods such as crocheting, making rubbings on paper, and crafting iterative objects. Through these techniques, I aim to embody the feelings of nostalgia, making them tangible. My artistic practice invites viewers to engage with collective memories, fostering connections that transcend intellectual understanding and resonate on a deeply human level.
By reflecting on personal experiences and their universal implications, my work evokes a shared sense of longing and belonging, inviting viewers to contemplate their own relationships with home and memory.