ArtSelected works
Unsettled Traces
2024
我以红线穿起黄豆,在宣纸上进行蓝晒曝光。曝光过程中,线与种子并未被固定,风推动它们移动,阳光与时间将停留、摇摆和偏移累积为虚实交错的痕迹。随后,我将宣纸上的蓝晒影像翻拍,制成灯箱。透射的光使这些痕迹获得轻盈而鲜活的视觉状态:种子仿佛舞动的精灵,悬浮于幽暗之中,而牵系它们的线仍清晰可见。
作品源于母亲对我加入加拿大国籍这一意愿的激烈反对,甚至以断绝母女关系相要挟。个人对未来生活的选择,由此触及家庭内部关于血缘、忠诚与归属的期待。黄豆作为与中国原乡相连的种子,承载着异地生长的可能;红线则将难以摆脱的情感联系化为可见的牵引。母女之间的依恋与约束,也成为国家身份进入亲密生活的具体方式。
从风中的移动,到宣纸上的感光痕迹,再到灯光中的悬浮形态,作品让牵绊与生命的活力同时显现。那些仿佛自由舞动的身影,始终与线相连——线既使关系得以延续,也限定着移动的范围。作品将这份矛盾保留在光中,思考一个人在改变自身归属的过程中,如何与无法轻易割舍的联系共同生活。
Here Was Home
2025
父亲站在老屋被拆除后裸露的土地前,手中捧着当年建房时用来增添喜庆气氛的红色装饰盘。这件廉价的旧物,曾寄托一家人对安定、和谐与长久团聚的愿望。随着父母离婚、女儿移民,父亲成为家中最后仍与这处房屋和土地保持日常联系的人。然而拆迁又切断了这份联系,使家的物理消失接续了家庭关系早已发生的离散。在他身后,机械铲挖留下的沟壑,令人联想到许多女性身体上的妊娠纹。土地与身体通过纹路产生呼应,将家园的拆除与生命孕育留下的痕迹并置,也使关于家的叙述延伸至身体所承受的变化。红盘仍保留着喜庆的颜色,承载它的家庭与房屋却已无法恢复原貌。作品将父亲的在场、家庭成员的离散与女儿迁徙后的回望汇聚于同一片土地,凝视一个家如何被建立,又如何在亲密关系与物理空间的变化中逐渐消失。
Exhibitions
Fulfillment
2026
《圆满》(Fulfillment)将77颗蒲公英绒球的影像以蓝晒转印于三层丝绢上,通过层叠与灯箱背光,构成具有空间纵深的影像。作品源于我在浙江天台山国清寺看到的由石子铺成的一个个圆形。这些圆形引发了我对“求圆满”这种中国文化心理的思考,并与原生家庭的破裂、故居的消失、及迁徙经验相联系:当完整成为一种深切的愿望,它是否也包含着无法长久维系的命运?
光是作品构成与观看过程中的重要媒介。随着背光增强,层叠丝绢中的巨大蒲公英绒球逐渐显现,纤细的放射状结构愈加清晰,球形也在视觉上趋于饱满。原本轻柔、朦胧的植物影像由此积聚起向外扩张的张力,仿佛在达到最完整形态的瞬间,即将骤然散开。光既使圆满显形,也让其中潜藏的离散变得可感
作品将这一临界状态保留在层叠的影像之中。蒲公英越接近饱满,越让人意识到它即将随风散去;完整与消散在同一形态中共存。对我而言,这也回应了家庭、家园与归属的经验:曾经真实拥有的完整无法永久停留,而离散之中,仍携带着记忆,以及在别处重新生长的可能
Impossible Landing
2024
《不可着陆》源于家庭生活中一个真实的事件:母亲在加拿大探亲结束准备返回中国时,将我院中的蒲公英拔起、洗净、切段,希望带回故乡泡水饮用。在当地草坪生活中被视为杂草的植物,在母亲的经验里却是值得珍惜的药材。我将被切断的蒲公英重新组合并拍摄,使根、茎、叶与花再次接近原有的位置,同时保留断裂的间隙。画面中的糖果色承载着对美好生活的憧憬,也构成一种向外界展示的、经过粉饰的生活表象。明亮柔和的色彩包裹着枯萎与断裂,让希望、自我修复与掩饰伤痕的愿望并存。植物悬浮在没有土壤的空间中,根仍然存在,却无处扎入。这一形态令人联想到南宋末年画家赵孟坚《岁寒三友图》中的“无根兰”,也呼应了国破家亡的遗民与离散、分崩离析的家庭经验。视觉形态可以重新拼合,断裂的经历却无法抹去。作品由此触及离散与迁徙生活中的理想与现实、外在呈现与内在经验之间的距离,以及在这种距离中持续寻找归属的过程。
Happiness Remains Inscribed
2025
作品呈现一只来自我的湖南旧居的装饰盘。房屋落成时,这只廉价、制作粗劣的盘子曾以鲜红的底色、金色的双喜字与吉祥图案,为新家增添喜悦,也承载着一家人对安定、和睦与长久相守的向往。如今,盘面已经磨损,祝愿仍然可辨,曾经支撑这些祝愿的家却已不复存在——父母离婚使家庭作为情感归属的整体瓦解,旧居的拆除则抹去了可以返回的具体地点。我通过摄影保存这件旧物,使它成为两重失落之后仍然留存的见证。在物件的延续与家的消失之间,作品追问:当房屋与家庭关系都无法再承接归属,一个人对家的依恋,将寄存于何处?
Curriculum Vitae
CHEN YAN
Interdisciplinary Visual Artist | Curator | Art Educator
Ontario, Canada
hooper2220@gmail.com · Yan-Chen.com
Early works exhibited under the pseudonym “Amber.”
Education
- MFA in Industrial Design, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, China.
- BFA in Photography, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, China.
- Continuing Education, Curatorial Masterclass, YING Gallery, China.
- Continuing Education, Commercial Photography, Zhongyi Image School, China.
Selected Exhibitions
- “Blood-Sweating Horse,” Art Shenzhen 2025, PT Gallery, Shenzhen, China.
- “Precious Horse, 2017,” Shining Centennial—Shenzhen Bay No.1 & Original Works by 100 Master Photographers, Shenzhen, China.
- “Red Beans,” Art Shenzhen 2024, PT Gallery, Shenzhen, China.
- “Red Beans,” Pingyao Photography Art Trade Expo, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China.
- “Precious Horse, 2017,” World Photography Congress, Lishui International Photography Festival, Lishui, China.
- “Precious Horse, 2017,” Shade of Summer Trees—Multi-Ethnic Young Artists Exhibition, DCC Cultural & Creative Park, Shenzhen, China.
- “Childhood,” First Global Chinese Photography Exhibition, Vancouver, Canada.
- “Chasing Dreams,” Kaleidoscope Group Exhibition, Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, Markham Museum, Markham, Canada.
- “Time,” Dialogue Themed Exhibition, Toronto City Hall, Toronto, Canada.
Selected Curatorial Projects
- “Boundless Light,” Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, Toronto, Canada.
- “Being Here, This Form—Contemporary Photography Exhibition,” Chinese Cultural Centre of Canada, Toronto, Canada.
- “Echo — Canadian Young Photographers Exhibition,” Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China.
- “Blossoms of the Border Town—Photography of the Indigenous Tongdao, Xiangxi,” Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, Toronto, Canada.
- “Face2020—Toronto Pandemic Photography Exhibition,” Toronto, Canada.
- “She—Contemporary Women’s Art Exhibition,” Dali International Photography Exhibition, Dali, China.
- “The Ice Harvester,” solo exhibition, Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, Toronto, Canada.
- “Simultaneous Contrast,” group exhibition, Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, Toronto, Canada.
- Toronto International Photography Festival, Toronto, Canada.
Awards and Honors
- “Loneliness,” Color Print Ribbon Award, 121st Toronto International Salon of Photography, Canada.
- “Loneliness,” First Place, Color Print Division & Best Portrait Award, 54th Canadian Photographic Salon, Canada.
- “Chinese Opera Dance,” Best Photojournalism Award, Digital Division, 54th Canadian Photographic Salon, Canada.
- “Gathering of Immortals,” Bronze Pinhole Award, 4th China Qilu International Photography Biennial, China.
- “Dedication” and “Peace of Mind, Simple Joy,” Second Prize, Jiangxi Anti-Corruption Culture Grand Prix, China.
- “Pure Space,” Third Prize, Jiangxi Anti-Corruption Culture Grand Prix, China.
- “Scroll of Farming Life,” Bronze Collection Award, First China National Rural Land Consolidation Photography Exhibition, China.
- “Dragon Boat Storm,” Silver Collection Award, Guangfa Bank Cup National Dragon Boat Photography Contest, China.
Professional & Community Service
- Project Lead, federally funded seniors’ public culture program, Canada.
- Mental Health Ambassador, Hong Fook Mental Health Association, Canada.
- Founder and Chair, North American Contemporary Photography Association, Canada.
- Photography Consultant, Federation of Tianjin Associations of Canada, Canada.
- Art Advisor, Canada Elite Chinese Photography Association, Canada.
- Judge, Global Chinese Photography Competition.
Teaching Experience and Honors
- Lecturer on photography and art in Toronto, Canada; organized more than 50 arts exchange events.
- Delivered nearly 100 photography lectures and workshops across more than a dozen cities in China and Canada.
- Excellence in Photography Education Award, Photography Education Committee, China Higher Education Society.
- Outstanding Mentor, 4th China College Students Modern Photography Competition.
- Outstanding Mentor, 8th–11th Jiangxi Provincial University Photography Competition.
- Lecturer in Drawing, Color Theory, Visual Arts, and Photography, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, China.
Selected Publications and Writing
- “The Wound of Colonialism and Race: ‘Crevice,’” People’s Photography Newspaper (Chinese).
- “Canada Contact International Photography Festival,” People’s Photography Newspaper (Chinese).
- “Reflections on Teaching Reform in Higher Education Art and Design Programs,” Art & Design (Theory Edition) (Chinese).
- “On the Role of Photography Education in Quality-Oriented Education,” Success (Education) (Chinese).
- “A Preliminary Study on Teaching Reform of the ‘Color’ Course in Art Programs,” Fine Arts Panorama.
- Photography and Videography, 21st Century Higher Education Art & Design Planning Textbook Series, Harbin Institute of Technology Press.
- “On the Social Responsibility of Documentary Photography,” Second Prize, First Chongqing Municipal Higher Education Photography Theory Symposium.
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