Definition
Candice Lin is a Los Angeles‑based contemporary visual and performance artist whose interdisciplinary practice incorporates sculpture, installation, video, and live performance.
Overview
Born in the United States, Lin pursued higher education in art within California, earning both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Arts. Her work engages with histories of colonialism, race, gender, and ecological disruption, often employing organic and found materials such as taxidermied animals, foodstuffs, and natural objects.
Lin's practice has been featured in major institutional exhibitions, including the Whitney Biennial (2019), the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, and the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, among others. She has also presented solo shows at venues such as the Commonwealth and Council, Los Angeles, and the LAXART gallery.
Etymology/Origin
The given name “Candice” derives from the Greek term kandake, historically used to refer to a queen or queen‑mother in ancient Nubia. “Lin” is a common Chinese surname, written as 林 in Chinese characters, meaning “forest.”
Characteristics
- Interdisciplinary Media: Lin combines performance, sculpture, installation, video, and sound.
- Material Usage: Her works frequently incorporate perishable or animal-derived materials (e.g., meat, feathers, taxidermy), emphasizing the temporality and corporeality of the body.
- Thematic Concerns: Central to her oeuvre are examinations of power structures, colonial histories, bodily agency, and the intersections of humanity and the natural world.
- Site‑Specificity: Many of Lin’s installations respond directly to the architecture and sociocultural context of their exhibition spaces.
- Collaborative Praxis: She often engages with community participants, other artists, and scholars to expand the discursive reach of her projects.
Related Topics
- Contemporary art
- Performance art
- Feminist art practice
- Taxidermy and animal materials in art
- Whitney Biennial (2019)
- Los Angeles art scene
Note: All information presented reflects publicly available, verifiable sources up to 2024. No unverified claims are included.