Calgary-based Chinese artist Yu Chen’s medium of choice is oil painting, wherein she combines Western painting techniques with explorations of her Chinese cultural roots. Drawing from her Han heritage, Chen’s work explores broader themes of identity and tradition, often centred on Hanfu, traditional clothing of the Han people, as a way to share Chinese culture and history. She also organizes workshops and cultural events, including life-drawing sessions, tea gatherings and flower arrangement.
Chen is an artist in residence at the Werklund Centre’s Ledge Gallery, where she has been developing her current series, Portraits of Belonging.
Q: How did Hanfu become such an important part of your artwork?
A: “I started wearing traditional Chinese Hanfu myself, but people often mistakenly assumed that I was Japanese or Korean. During the Qing dynasty, Hanfu was banned for Han Chinese people. That’s why people today don’t recognize the style. That brought me to the idea of creating art about Hanfu.
“As a Han Chinese [person] myself, I think it’s important that we bring our own traditional roots back, to tell people that that’s part of who we are — our culture, history and identity. That’s how I started calling myself a Hanfu promoter.”
Q: You studied art in China and the United States. How did those two educational experiences influence your style?
A: “It really broadened my views about what I wanted to make in art. Before, I was really into Chinese traditional painting, like ink painting and calligraphy. When I moved to the States, they didn’t have those courses anymore, and I found oil painting. I liked how detailed I could get with it, and then I fell in love with Western master paintings.”
Q: There was a period when you stepped away from art. What made you change your mind?
A: “About four years ago, I felt a little bit defeated because AI had become very advanced. I’m a slow painter, but with AI you can just put in some words and it generates [an image] for you. So back then, I started losing hope in creating art.
“Once I started working other jobs, it took up a lot of my time and energy. I didn’t produce anything for about three years. I was really sad and felt empty inside because making art has been something that I’ve been doing my whole life. I felt like I was giving up on art, giving up on myself. I decided to come back to art, tell the story I wanted to tell without overthinking it.”
Q: Some of your earlier works feature Buddhist prayer beads and bracelets. What do these objects mean to you?
A: “I made that series a few years ago because my mother is a Buddhist. When I moved here, she gave me some Buddhist prayer beads, hoping they could protect me. Buddhist bracelets are always a very good symbol, which emphasizes health, love and connection. It was like an act of love — the gift I received from my mother.”
Q: Could you tell us more about your current project?
A: “It’s called Portraits of Belonging. I paint people from different cultures in their traditional outfits. So far, I have done 10 pieces from each country. For this project, I have a few requirements for the model. They should be immigrants, have traditional clothing and be artists in Calgary.
“I did an interview with each one of the artists. I asked them about their cultural background, their immigrant story and their artistic practice. It was a really fun and very educational journey for me. Every culture has its own beauty, and every person has their own story to tell, and this project can help me to build relationships within the community.
“I also wanted to create art that someone hasn’t done before. Painting people in traditional outfits is not very common today. And then this is all about people, which is also a way for me to… I don’t know… beat AI.”
Q: Where do you feel your practice is heading now?
A: “I want to continue this project as long as I can and one day be able to paint every country and have a book about my artwork. It could be a really good way for people to learn about each other’s cultures.”
This Q&A was created in collaboration with the Werklund Centre.
Yu Chen’s work is currently on view at Ledge Gallery until October 8. It will then move to 500 Collective with the Calgary Allied Arts Foundation.
See more of her work at yuchenartstudio.com or on Instagram @yuchenartstudio.
