ABOUT
Cindy Yuen-Zhe Chen is a Sydney based emerging artist who uses experimental drawing and sound practice to explore the process of embodied listening. Her drawings are intuitive responses to sound and its movement through time and space. They are informed by Buddhist philosophy, the spatial dynamics of Chinese landscape painting and alternative graphic notation systems. As the recipient of the University Postgraduate Award, Chen is currently undertaking a Doctor of Philosophy in Art, Design and Media at the University of New South Wales Art and Design. Her research investigates the convergence of aural, haptic and optical perception in the embodied experience of place, and explores how listening can extend drawing practice.
With work held in private and public collections, Chen has exhibited in Australia and China in solo, group and finalist prize exhibitions. In December 2018, Chen will hold a solo exhibition and undertake an artist residency at Ningbo Museum of Art, China. In 2017, Chen was selected to exhibit in Beijing's Today Art Museum as a part of Art Nova 100. She was a finalist in the Paddington Art Prize in 2015 and a finalist for the 61st Blake Prize in 2012. Chen has undertaken artist residencies at Akiyoshidai International Art Village in Japan and Hill End, Bathurst Regional Gallery. Chen is represented by Art Atrium in New South Wales. Please click here to view her artist statement.
CV
Please click here for a full curriculum vitae.
EDUCATION
CURRENT Doctor of Philosophy Art, Media and Design - Research Candidate, University of New South Wales Art and Design
2012 Master of Fine Arts - Research, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales
2007 Bachelor of Fine Arts - Honours, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018 Conversations with the Wind - Incinerator Art Space, Sydney
2015 Life of a Storm: Cindy Yuen-Zhe Chen - Gaffa Gallery, Sydney
2015 Unseen Landscapes: Cindy Yuen-Zhe Chen - Art Atrium, Sydney
2011 Drawing Breath - Master of Fine Arts Graduation Exhibtion, Kudos Gallery, Sydney
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018 Vis à Vis, Five Walls, Melbourne
2017 Art Nova 100, Today Art Museum, Beijing
2017 Willoughby Visual Arts Biennale - Home Grown, Art Space on the Concourse, Sydney
2017 Claudia Chan Show and Cindy Yuen-Zhe Chen, Art Atrium at Jones Bay Wharf, Sydney
2015 The Narrative of Location (Close) - Gaffa Gallery, Sydney
2015 The Narrative of Location (Open) - Seventh Gallery, Fitzroy, Melbourne
2015 Openings - AirSpace Projects, Marrickville
2014 Contemporary’s Contemporaries: Museum of Contemporary Art Staff Show - The Rocks Pop Up Space, Sydney
2014 The Space Between: Mark-making as Meditation, Incinerator Art Space, Willoughby
2014 Miniature Cosmos - AirSpace Projects, Marrickville
2014 Wondermountain - Penrith Regional Gallery and The Lewers Bequest, Penrith
2013 Lived Rhythm - Cindy Chen and Li Cui - Art Atrium, Sydney
2013 Interplay - Museum of Contemporary Art Staff Show 2013 - 107 Projects, Redfern
2013 Snake Snake Snake, An exhibition of contemporary Asian Australian Artists - Sydney Town Hall
2012 Breathe - Art Atrium, Sydney
2012 Art 3K - Art Atrium, Sydney
AWARDS / GRANTS / RESIDENCIES
2018 Artist in Residence - Ningbo Museum of Art, Zhejiang Province, China
2018 Artist in Residence - Hill End, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
2017 - 2019 University Postgraduate Award - The University of New South Wales
2016 - 2017 Australian Postgraduate Award - The University of Sydney
2016 - 2017 Artist in Residence - Hill End, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
2016 Fellowship Artist - Akiyoshidai International Art Village, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
2015 Paddington Art Prize - Finalist - Woollahra, Sydney
2013 - 2014 Artist in Residence - Penrith Regional Gallery and the Lewers Bequest Summer Studio Residency
2013 Paddington Art Prize - Finalist - Mary Place Gallery, Paddington
2013 Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Awards - Finalist - Gallery Lane Cove, Sydney
2012 61st Blake Prize - Finalist - S.H Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2010 Tim Olsen Drawing Prize - Finalist - Kudos Gallery, Sydney
2009 Tim Olsen Drawing Prize - Finalist - Highly Commended - Kudos Gallery, Sydney
2008 Postgraduate Travel Grant - College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales
2007 Tim Olsen Drawing Prize - Finalist - Kudos Gallery, Sydney
2007 Jenny Birt Award - Highly Commended - College of Fine Arts, Sydney
2007 Honours Year Scholarship - College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales
PUBLICATIONS / CONFERENCES
2017 Poems of Wu Suzhen, Yue Xuan & Qing Shui. Introduction by Cui Yuwei. Translated from Chinese by Ouyang Yu. Newtown: Vagabond Press, 2017. Cover image.
2014 Miniature Cosmos, Miniature Cosmos catalogue, Kathleen Linn, September
2012 Sounds of Creativity, Northside Courier, Vanessa Fowler, 6 November 2012
2011 Drawing Breath, The Art Life, Meredith Birrell, 17 June 2011
2009 Chant: Creating a sacred space through drawing, Cindy Yuen-Zhe Chen, Engaging Place(s) / Engaging Culture(s) Conference, Online Publication, Curtin University, Perth.
2007 The Whiff of Graduation - COFA Annual 07, Vaughan O’Connor, COFA Art and Design: Summer 2008, Issue 20
2007 Transient Art in COFA Annual and COFA Graduates 07, Kevin Rahardjo, Artwrite, Issue 37
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
2014 The Willoughby Collection - The City of Willoughby