Tofer Chin

This new work is a result of years of experimentation and practice, pain and suffering, understanding boundaries—and coming to the surface for air.

I feel so grateful to share my latest sculpture installation 𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑬 𝑰𝑺 𝑨𝑵𝑶𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑳𝑫, 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑰𝑻 𝑰𝑺 𝑰𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑺 𝑶𝑵𝑬 — currently on view at in Long Beach.

This installation interrogates conventional notions of space, security, and identity through four interconnected picket fence walls made of charred cedar wood—repurposing the picket fence, a pervasive fixture of Los Angeles’ suburban expansion, subverting the constructs of domesticity and security inherent in the form.

“Interpreted as a symbol of the elusive “American Dream,” Chin’s installation also questions who is included and excluded. The city’s history of immigration, suburban development, and ecological challenges provides a rich backdrop for Chin’s exploration of boundaries and identity. With no entrance or exit, the installation encapsulates feelings of restriction and exclusion, reflecting broader societal issues. The soil bed within the enclosed space underscores the dichotomy of life and death, growth and decay, echoing the city’s cycles of destruction and renewal, from wildfires to urban development.” - excerpt from ‘Revealing the Unseen: Tofer Chin’s Art of Transformation and Symbolic Form’, Written by Joey Lico

Thank you so much Compound for your immense support and fully believing in my vision. Thank you .orkenyi for being on this journey with me. Thank you for taking the time to fully understand my practice, resulting in such a beautifully written essay. Thank you for documenting the entire process. And thank you for the epic installation photos.