Yen Hui Chen

Lives and works in Taipei, Taiwan

Artist statement

I paint stories about finding strength, connection, and moments of stillness in an uncertain world. Working primarily in oil, I move between the human figure, animals, and imagined natural environments. Although these subjects may appear different, they often begin with the same question: how do we continue when we encounter vulnerability, isolation, or change? Women are an important presence in my work. I am drawn to moments when they move beyond roles or expectations placed upon them and begin to recognize their own agency. Rather than presenting strength as fearlessness, I am interested in the quieter process of confronting uncertainty, making choices, and continuing forward. Vulnerability remains present in these paintings; it does not disappear when strength emerges. My paintings of animals and nature extend this exploration beyond human experience. Whales, polar bears, forests, and changing environments allow me to consider solitude, survival, and ecological fragility, as well as the relationship between individual lives and the larger world they inhabit. Nature can also become a place of stillness. My use of Buddhist imagery comes from a related idea: that peace does not necessarily require escaping from the world, but can be found by creating space within ourselves amid its noise and complexity. In my more recent work, moonlight, animals, water, flowers, and imagined landscapes have begun to form a recurring visual language. I am interested in the way moonlight...

Artwork