Yen was born in Taiwan and pursues her ceramic career in the United States. Her artistic essence delicately weaves together forms, lines, textures, and colors, drawing inspiration from a tapestry of Eastern cultural heritage and Western contemporary styles. Her work is deeply influenced by organic cells, plant forms encountered on farms, hiking trails, and within the surrounding mountainous landscapes.
Agriculture played a significant role in Yen’s childhood, leaving a lasting impression on her artistic practice. Soil becomes a powerful symbol in her work, representing a profound connection to the earth as the source that nurtures life and energy. Transforming clay with her hands is not merely an act of creation but an immersive experience—a journey into the unseen soul of the material. Clay, with its inherent softness and quiet vitality, reveals its outer form through the transformative process of firing, encapsulating a symbolic narrative.
Yen focuses on working with porcelain and white stoneware, utilizing both wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques. Coil-building, in particular, allows her to create a wide range of forms, from traditional vessels to whimsical, footless sculptures. Influenced by Japanese art as well as Western contemporary movements such as Impressionism and Expressionism, her sculptures feature vibrant color palettes and richly textured surfaces. These effects are achieved through layered glazes applied using painting, spraying, and pointillism techniques. Variations in firing temperatures further reveal diverse surface qualities, resulting in matte, shimmering, and glossy finishes.
In addition to her studio practice, Yen explores ceramic chemistry to investigate unique glaze properties and develop distinctive color palettes. Pastel tones reflect her dreamy, soft childhood memories and emotions, while brighter, more vibrant hues evoke a sense of positive energy and humor. The circle—a primary form in her work—symbolizes gathering, balance, and luck in Asian culture and strongly influences both her functional and sculptural pieces. Over time, her practice has gradually evolved from traditional realism toward the abstract realm of contemporary art. Together, these diverse influences seamlessly weave into the fabric of her ceramic practice.
Being an artist is both an honor and a gift for Yen, allowing her to evoke a sense of wonder and joy that connects audiences and brings them together through art. Her work aims to enrich viewers’ perspectives and inspire them to create their own narratives and sources of inspiration. Continuously cultivating new knowledge and skills fuels her practice with positive energy as she navigates the complexities of ceramic art. Yen aspires to contribute to future museum exhibitions, create collectible ceramic artworks, and participate in international residencies, driven by a passionate engagement with the limitless possibilities of the artistic realm.