10 Questions with Yu Chen

Al-Tiba9 Art Magazine ISSUE14 | Featured Artist

Yu Chen is a visual artist, designer, and lecturer with an MFA Degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His focus is on branding, art direction, and 3D graphics design. Yu has received numerous accolades for his work, including recognition as a TOP 100 DAC World's Leading Designer and jury member of the Milan Design Week - China Design Exhibition. His innovative and thought-provoking art has earned him over 40 international design awards, including the prestigious Pentawards, Type Directors Club Awards, Communication Arts Awards, Graphis Awards, Gold Muse Creative Awards, and Grand Prize from NYX Awards. Moreover, Yu's works have been showcased in over ten countries across the globe, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Italy, France, Germany, New Zealand, China, and the United Kingdom. In addition, in December 2022, his works were prominently featured in New York Time Square.

www.yuchen-creative.com | @yunathanchen

ARTIST STATEMENT

Yu Chen's art is an intricate exploration of societal complexities and the human experience. He delves into social issues and the rich cultural inheritance that shapes our worldview. Chen shows a particular interest in exploring the cultural variances between East and West, and how these disparities inform our perceptions of the world. Central to Chen's work is his profound passion for examining human emotions. He is driven to comprehend the symbols within our collective consciousness and their role in influencing our behavior. Chen is captivated by the power of visual design to manifest the abstract and render the invisible visible. Through a process of disassembly, he unveils layers of meaning and representation, revealing a deeper understanding of the emotions that propel us as individuals and society.

***Let Parents Stay (Han Embroidery Typeface)***, Embroidery, silk, Variable dimension, 2022 © Yu Chen

Let Parents Stay (Han Embroidery Typeface) | Project Statement

Han embroidery is a traditional technique from China. However, due to a shortage of artisans and the rise of factory production, the art is in danger of being lost. The project focuses on helping the people of Jinling Village, a designated poverty-stricken area - to inherit and promote the culture of Han Embroidery. Most of the villagers in Jinling mastered certain Han embroidery skills, but they could not use them to make a living, so the young parents had to go to large cities to make money away from their children in jinling. Yu Chen engaged in researching and modernizing the technique by extracting traditional Han Embroidery elements and presenting them in an experimental English typeface. This allows us to pass down the craft in a modern and practical way. This work was recognized by the Typer Directors Club and Communication Arts as World’s Best Type and Typography Design in 2022.

***Villagers celebrating the completion of the first version of the embroidery with their families*** © Yu Chen

INTERVIEW

How did you get involved with art, and what influenced you to follow this path?

My initial exposure to art actually came from video games. Ever since I was a child, I've been captivated by the intricate designs and fantasies within the gaming world. Around the age of six or seven, I began exploring video game art books and interviews with developers. From there, the desire to express the novel ideas in my head grew stronger, gradually paving my path into the realm of art. Art truly has a therapeutic essence, allowing one to vent emotions. However, I believe that art should not solely be an expression of oneself but should also resonate with the public and touch their hearts. In 2018, my first design project, "Panda Cigarette," won the highest honor in the world of packaging design, the Pentawards, making me the youngest recipient in its history. This accolade opened doors to numerous opportunities, marking the official commencement of my journey in art and design.

You have already exhibited extensively across Asia, Europe, and the United States. How much did these experiences influence the artist you are today? Did you learn any valuable lessons?

I believe what has most profoundly influenced me is the sense of cultural integration. Each exhibition has its unique theme and carries a distinct cultural backdrop, which is utterly captivating. The diversity is palpable both in the subject of the artworks and the backgrounds of the artists. What might seem commonplace within the subtle and reserved culture I hail from can have a drastically different expression and interpretation in Western culture. These fresh perspectives are what I've gleaned from various exhibitions. They have broadened my horizons and fostered a more comprehensive way of thinking. Crucially, it has taught me to consider a vast audience and to be a responsible citizen-artist, creating not just art that resonates with my personal sentiments but also serving society at large.

You work with different media, from digital art to textile and embroidery. What is your preferred medium of choice? And which one would you like to use more or experiment with more?

My primary medium of choice is digital art because the possibilities for visual creation and its reach surpass many other mediums. However, in recent years, I have been experimenting with integrating traditional crafts, especially intangible cultural heritages like Han Embroidery. Marrying cutting-edge digital art with millennia-old traditional mediums is truly enchanting. It transforms something virtual into something tactile and perceptible. In other words, the results are things that can actually be collected and showcased in physical spaces. This allure deeply resonates with me.

What are your preferred themes? Do you tend to gravitate around certain themes or concepts, or are you open to addressing different ideas?

For me, I am not inclined to convey overly grandiose concepts. I have always believed that art and design do not necessarily have to be intricate or high-tech. A heartfelt alteration can make a world of difference, and what touches the heart is truly the best. I do not consistently stick to a specific theme; my creative subjects often derive from my immediate inspirations and thoughts. I welcome any ideas that pique my interest and bring it to life through my art.

Your statement defines your work as an "exploration of societal complexities and the human experience." What is the ultimate message you want to convey?

Overall, the ultimate message is about seeing, understanding, and accepting. Humanity is truly intricate. Even within the same language, race, or nationality, differing behavioral patterns and expressions can lead to varied interpretations. This can result in individuals being physically close yet emotionally apart. I might be a bit idealistic, but I genuinely wish for humans to see, understand, and embrace each other more. This is why my designs often extract the symbolic consciousness behind human behaviors and transform them into emotionally resonant pieces. My aim is to prompt the audience to reflect upon and understand the very sentiments they often overlook and, ultimately, to embrace them.

Let's talk about your series, Let Parents Stay. How did you come up with this concept? What influenced you to experiment with Han Embroidery?

Han Embroidery originates from my hometown in Hubei Province, China, and it is recognized as an intangible cultural heritage. Now, it is at risk of fading away. Contemporary designs of Han Embroidery still reflect the aesthetic styles of the past, which may not align with modern tastes. Moreover, since Han embroidery requires manual labor, it comes with a high price tag. Promoting and reviving disappearing traditional cultures has always been one of my passions.
I once visited an impoverished village called Jinling. The villagers there possessed skills in Han Embroidery, but they could not make a sustainable income from it. Consequently, young parents ventured out for jobs, leading to a significant issue with left-behind children in the village. This inspired me to assist them in rejuvenating the Han embroidery culture and introducing industrial resources. My hope was that parents could support their families through Han Embroidery and remain close to their children.
In terms of my artwork, considering contemporary aesthetics and the potential for cultural propagation, I transformed traditional Han Embroidery patterns into a set of English alphabets. This not only resonates with modern tastes but also has the potential to spread beyond our national borders due to its English letter format. Fortunately, upon completion, this design was recognized by the Prestigious Type Directors Club (TDC) as the world's best type design and was showcased in global exhibitions. Due to the vast exposure, the local community garnered significant industrial resources and assistance.

In this series, you worked with a traditional technique, but you also employed digital art. What do you think of the changes we are witnessing in the art world, particularly concerning AI and their usage in the art process? Do you see a future in which traditional art forms will be lost?

As I mentioned in a previous response, while my primary medium is digital art, I am increasingly trying to give it a physical presence, utilizing traditional mediums to materialize it. This approach allows the artwork to be tactile and tangible, giving it a more "warm" and intimate feel.
AI has granted artists like us a more expansive creative canvas. Specifically, it provides artists who may have brilliant ideas but lack the technical skills a wonderful opportunity to create. Undoubtedly, AI does pose a significant threat to traditional art and design industries. However, this is an inevitable shift in the era, and we must adapt and harness the strengths of AI to forge new artistic expressions. As for traditional forms of art, I do not believe they will vanish. On the contrary, they might be cherished even more due to their rarity. I am convinced that, with the advent of AI, traditional art forms will undergo a rejuvenation and display entirely new facets.

As an artist working with different mediums, how important are new technologies and innovations for your work? And how do you keep up to date with the latest developments?

The pace of our era's advancement is swift, and I cannot precisely predict which new artistic form will become mainstream. Only through continuous experimentation can we find the right medium. However, the introduction of new technologies has indeed expanded the possibilities for my work, and I genuinely appreciate this sense of transformation.

What are you working on right now? Do you have any new projects or series you are currently developing?

I have recently taken a vacation, venturing into the great outdoors to truly relax and clear my mind. Even during this period of reflection, some fresh ideas have emerged. I look forward to incorporating these ideas into new works. Please stay tuned for my upcoming work!

And finally, where do you see yourself five years from now? What are your main goals for the future?

I aspire for my artworks to be on a much grander scale than they are now, employing a broader range of mediums and encapsulating the warmth of human emotions even more profoundly. More importantly, I hope that in five years from now, my creations will possess a therapeutic power. I want them to offer a respite, much like when people watch films by Mr. Hayao Miyazaki, which gives those caught up in the hustle and bustle of life a moment of reprieve and reach a wider audience.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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