Chenyang Nie
Collection
"TRAUMA"
On September.12th, 2013, I was in a car accident with my grandmother on our way home. The incident caused us physical and emotional trauma and I am still suffering its effects today. The recovery process from PTSD is ongoing and delicate. According to a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) study, 39.2% of motor vehicle accident (MVA) survivors develop PTSD.
My thesis “Trauma” is an abstract translation of my experience and has been a performative example of my journey to healing. Beginning by collaging digitally in 2D I developed prints using car parts and crashes as well as hospital environments to begin to tell my story through color. The 3D shapes I have employed (tutus, peter pan collars, and pleated skirts) reflect my life experiences and age at the time. The details such as embroidered suturing, sling materials, glass, and broken reflective elements show the aftermath of the accident and the process of healing. The making of this collection has been deeply personal and cathartic and I hope it is an example of how facing pain can bring about something beautiful. I hope it encourages others to face their difficult personal traumas.
Photographer: Runze Yu
Bio
Chenyang was born and raised in Zhejiang, China. With family’s support and her passion for art, she spent years exploring creativity. In the summer of 2018, she found her way to Parsons. Studying Fashion Design at Parsons allowed her to thoroughly pursue goals on multiple paths and learn from the professionals. Now she's dedicated to womenswear and is looking forward to exploring the art field further.
In her thesis collection, she shared a personal experience with the audience to encourage more people to face traumatized experiences and hopefully call for more attention to caring for PTSD.