Through photography, installation, and visual storytelling, Chelsea explores themes of displacement, nostalgia, and the fluid nature of identity. Her ongoing series Misplaced blurs the boundaries between presence and absence, inviting viewers into an ambiguous space where memory and perception intertwine. In this conversation, she reflects on the influence of personal migration, the nuances of Asian identity in America, and how abstraction allows for both personal and collective storytelling.

Your work explores themes like dissonance, self-identity, and nostalgia. How have your personal experiences shaped these themes in your art?

CN: I had the experience of feeling dissociated and I found that it was not just a personal feeling. It was like making up an image from jigsaw pieces to express a lot of thoughts as I grew up, until later I saw that I was not the only one who felt detached, uncomfortable, and curious about my surroundings at the same time. It became more like a group that resonated with similar moments.

Shifting between places and cities provided me with both uncertainties and security at the same time. When I feel like I need to describe home, the idea feels more like a place that provides comfort at certain points in time. When I returned from some places, I was assured in some way. I believe that sometimes I am trying to search for somewhere that my heart belongs, but I always feel nostalgic about my past and myself, who may have changed a lot.

The idea of immigration and expatriation makes me ponder the differences between these terms. What defines someone who leaves their home? Who can define them? Are we all trying to find a third space where we can rest and settle?

For Asians in America, there is probably more to explore when it comes to identity. Do I have to address this topic? The community can be easily generalized, yet there are so many differences among its groups. Is there a way for me to engage more deeply with this subject? I wish to incorporate those questions and (perhaps) answers into my work.

Can you tell us more about your ongoing project Misplaced? What’s next for this series?

CN: Yes! I have been working on my series Misplaced for over a year. I started the project when I was still in college, and I am still working on it. It is a long-term project that continues to evolve. Since I moved to New York after graduating, I have been thinking about what I can do here. The sense of belonging and the process of defining “home” continue to intrigue me. In Misplaced, many photographs are blurry, distorted, and cropped. They are intended to create a subjective space for the audience.

The space we inhabit is always subjective rather than objective. By framing it with the camera, I aim to craft a mysterious, simultaneously intimate and distant space. Have I been here before? Does it resemble something from my past? Can I find traces of my origins in a new place? These are not mistakes; they are intentional disruptions that shape perception and thought.

I have not thought much about the next steps! But I’ve been drawn to exploring human faces. I am also very interested in hands, so I may create photographic work centered on them. What remains when we remove facial recognition and eye contact? Hands may hold part of the answer.