Yanyun Chen

Yanyun Chen (b. 1986, Singapore) draws, and is driven by questions. Her practice is rooted in the craft and the silent contemplation of making drawings. As she paces between the object, the drawing, and the site of seeing, she attempts to open conversations and questions about what it means to draw, read, think, and see along the material surface. She finds her answers by the marks made in charcoal.

She is a Ph.D. candidate at the European Graduate School, and received the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal Award and the Nanyang Scholarship for her undergraduate degree in animation from the School of Art, Design and Media, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She has been trained at the Florence Academy of Art(FAA) in Sweden, The Animation Workshop in Denmark, and under puppet makers Miroslav Trejtnar and Zdar Sorm in the Czech Republic. Her drawing of Anna Iwas awarded the best figure drawing of the year 2013 in FAA Sweden.She was an artist-in-residence at Hackerspace Singapore, and Tembusu College, at the National University of Singapore; developing animated short films and games. The eco-awareness game Jimmyfish, created with a team of friends, exhibited at the Japan Media Arts Festival 2012 and was awarded the Jury Selection Award. Her previous research involved animation, games, and illustration; while her current research revolves around drawing, etymology, and continental philosophy.