Ting Ting Chen, a visual artist who has attracted international attention for her highly detailed photographs, has teamed up again with an unlikely muse who has had a large impact on her work.
Chen, who grew up in China, came to Newfoundand originally as a student, and since then has been developing her artistic career.
Chen and Robert Tilley, 76, met through a mutual friend in 2017. The pair have travelled around the province together since then.
“We have been almost everywhere in Newfoundland, from the east to the west from the north to south,” said Chen.
“We have an emotional connection because we’re good friends in in our life.”
Her latest exhibition, Unveiled Visions: Narratives in Time, opened recently at the Emma Butler Gallery.
On their travels, Chen discovered her passion for photography. Now, Chen is an award-winning artist and is recognized around the world.
A muse and a friend
Chen’s exhibit features two artworks featuring Tilley, titled Mr. Sweet and The View.
Mr. Sweet is a photograph of Tilley enjoying a colourful lollipop.
The inspiration for the piece was Tilley’s childhood tale of going on a walk to Bowring Park with a friend. Along the way, they ate an entire bag of Hershey Bells, but when they arrived at the park, they were too sick and had to return home.
“Robert really likes to eat sweets in his daily life,” said Chen.
The View features Tilley sitting in a chair in his family home in Brigus, staring out the window at the landscape.
Of the old coveralls that Tilley wears in the photo, he said, “I prefer to wear them till they’re rags — that’s just my sort of personality.”
As for his role in providing inspiration to an artist, he said, “I think being a muse is like being a friend.”
A unique perspective
Chen also wanted to try capturing herself after taking photos of Tilley. Her first self-portrait is on display at the gallery, called Vessel for Time.
She’s won awards the world over, but it’s Ting Ting Chen’s connection to Newfoundland and Labrador that has had the greatest impact on her work. She met Robert Tilley, 76, seven years ago and considers him her muse. He’s featured in her new exhibit, titled Unveiled Visions: Narratives in Time, at the Emma Butler Gallery. The CBC’s Gavin Simms and video producer Danny Arsenault recently spoke with Chen.
The photo features her long hair, which she has not cut since 2012. She named the piece because her body and hair are the result of the past 12 years of her life.
“Our body is a testament of the times that we have been experiencing” she said.
Chen said that many people think her photos are paintings when they first see them. She says this is because of her unique retouching process, through which she tries to make the photos look like paintings.
“I’m very grateful that I’ve come to Newfoundland and I found all these new opportunities for me to do some self-discovery,” said Chen.
Chen also published a book of her photos titled Impressions of Newfoundland: The Art of Ting Ting Chen with Breakwater Books in 2023, which has been short-listed for the 2023 Foreword Indies Book Awards.
Chen accredits her success to the people in Newfoundland who have supported her along the way.
“Without these nice people who gave me opportunities I wouldn’t have been able to make it this far,” she said. “So I’m really lucky.”
Chen has ambitions of exploring more parts of Newfoundland and taking more portraits of Tilley in the future.
The exhibit is open until May 18.
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