Chen Chuanduan uses imagery as a medium, beginning with documentary works rooted in personal emotions and experiences. He focuses on the connection between humans and nature and the cries of modern life. He is fascinated by natural science and supernatural phenomena, with a particular penchant for imaginary and fictional elements. He has independently published photography books titled Restrained Orders, Belly of The Giant Serpent, and Restorative Topophilia. Chen graduated from Beijing Normal University in 2019 with a master’s degree in comparative education. He currently works and lives as a creative professional and artist in China.
Belly of The Giant Serpent: Prophecy is a documentary work concealed beneath the masks of fiction and the supernatural. I hide personal experiences and collective trauma in the text of AI images and paranormal short stories, recording unspeakable memories and emotions. This work metaphorically depicts Chen’s life during the 2019-nCoV pandemic under strict lockdown conditions in China, along with the silent accusations that accompanied it.
This series documents an unexpected journey during my travels, in a place called Norgris Town, where I spent the final days of winter. The Daltons, who have three children, graciously took me in. However, it was the peculiar pre-dinner prayer that piqued my curiosity. After expressing gratitude for trees, crops, and all animals, people would conclude it with a phrase –
“The world lies within the belly of a giant serpent.”
Retired teacher Patrick shared with me the town’s history. Back in the 1990s, a meteorite fell in Norgris, bearing scales like a snake. Children who touched it were believed to be protected from illness and danger. Patrick strongly believed that the origin of the universe followed a similar pattern: dust coalesced into the shape of a serpent, then curled up to form planets, giving birth to life and civilizations. The priest in Norgris would conduct a ceremony before spring arrived, and during those days, supernatural occurrences blurred the lines of my memory. These included seeing indistinct faces outside my window, experiencing intense physical pain, and dreaming of being covered in scales from head to toe. I no longer have the opportunity to return to Norgris, or perhaps Norgris does not exist. Within the belly of the giant serpent is a digestive fluid. For a certain period, I see the world enclosed, immersed within unquestionable walls. C.C.
Artist’s website
