In her work, Char Davies explores paradoxes of embodiment, being and nature in immersive virtual space. She approaches this new medium as a philosophical 'arena' for constructing architectures of enveloping immaterial form. Her approach embraces the medium's paradoxes by working with transparency, luminosity, spatial ambiguity, implicit rather than explicit meaning, and temporality - as well as a body-centered user interface of breath and balance with the intent of affirming the role of the subjectively-felt physical body in virtual space.

Formally a painter and filmmaker, Char Davies began working with 3d digital media in the mid-eighties. She was a founding director of the software company Softimage Inc Montreal). Between 1987 and 1997, she played various roles, including Vice-President 1988-1994 and Director of Visual Research 1994-1997. She recently left Softimage to found Immersence Inc., as a vehicle for pursuing her artistic research. She is also pursuing doctoral research at CAiiA, Centre of Advanced Inquiry into the Interactive Arts, University of Wales College, Newport, Wales.

Davies' artistic investigation of immersive virtual environments follows fifteen years of painting and constructing three-dimensional computer graphic still images. Her series of 3D CG still images, collectively known as the Interior Body Series, have been shown in Europe, North America and Australia and won numerous international awards including the Ars Electronica Distinction in 1994. Her immersive virtual environment OSMOSE (1995) has, to date, been exhibited in Montreal, New York City, London, and Monterrey, Mexico and has been widely written about. Davies has lectured extensively, including at the National Gallery of Canada, the Museum of Modern Art (NYC); and Siggraph. Her most recent immersive virtual artwork Ephémère had its world premiere at the National Gallery of Canada on June 26, 1998.

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