Award-winning artist and designer Yu Chen has been making waves in the global art scene with his recent achievements. To start, Yu Chen is a visual artist, designer, and art director with an MFA Degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His focus is on branding, art direction, and 3D graphics design. He has received numerous accolades for his work, including recognition as a TOP 100 DAC World’s Leading Designer and jury member of the Milan Design Week – China Design Exhibition.
Many works by Yu Chen have continued to draw noteworthy interest and recognition. In a significant moment of recognition, Yu Chen’s works “Let Parents Stay (Han Embroidery Typeface)” and “SAIC ArtBash 2022” were selected for preservation by the esteemed Chicago Design Archive on October 17, 2023.
“Since 2003, the Chicago Design Archive has been the premiere and permanent online record featuring Chicago-related experiential design, graphic design, and product design created from the 1920s to the present. It is a collection of historically important design as well as a living, growing record of the vibrant Chicago design scene. The mission of the CDA is to preserve significant works of the past, to augment the collection with vital new works, and to showcase the best of Chicago design through publication, exhibition, and other programming.” This shows Yu Chen and his works’ enduring value as integral components of Chicago’s rich design history.
Yu Chen’s first work selected for preservation was “Let Parents Stay”, which utilizes Han embroidery. Han embroidery is a traditional technique from China’s Hubei province. However, due to a shortage of artisans and the rise of factory production, the art is in danger of being lost. To preserve and revive this tradition, Yu Chen co-founded the Han Embroidery Poverty Alleviation Project – “Let Parents Stay” with the Hubei Han Embroidery Association. The project focuses on helping the people of Jinling Village, Dawu County – a designated poverty-stricken area – to inherit and promote the culture of Han Embroidery. He is also engaged in researching and modernizing the technique by extracting traditional elements and presenting them in a contemporary manner, through the use of new typography. This allows the older generation to pass down the craft in a modern and practical way.
“Let Parents Stay” – Yu Chen (2020).
Since its creation, Yu Chen’s “Let Parents Stay” has been widely recognized in the artistic industry. The work has received countless awards, including Winner of 68th Type Directors Club Awards where it was recognized as one of the best type and typography design in the world (2022); Gold Muse Creative Awards (2022); Silver Muse Creative Awards (2022); Gold x 2, Nyx Awards (2022); Winner, Communication Arts (2022); and Silver, Graphis Design Awards (2023).
Yu Chen’s second work selected for preservation was a project for School of the Art Institute of Chicago – ArtBash 2022. This work showed Yu Chen’s range and ability, where the exhibition was a promotion and identification system created for SAIC, which introduces three-dimensional elements and animation. SAIC is one of the leading intuitions that cultivates artists around the world.
School of the Art Institute of Chicago – ArtBash 2022, Yu Chen (2022).
Again, Yu Chen’s work caught the eyes of many and garnered many awards, including Gold x 2, Muse Creative Awards (2022); Silver, Muse Creative Awards (2022); Gold x 4 NYX Awards (2022); Gold, Indigo Design Awards (2022); Silver, Graphis Design Awards (2022); and Silver, IDA Design Awards (2022).
To continue, his captivating artwork, titled “True Colors,” traveled and took center stage at the Chroma Exhibition held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from August 5 to 26, 2023. Before San Paulo, Chen’s work was selected and exhibited in Times Square, New York, in December 2022, and the work has been continuously recognized since its completion. During its time, the work has won a plethora of awards, including Rose Gold, Muse Design Award (2019); Bronze, A’Design Award (2019); Selected, the 5th Biennial of Asia Graphic Design (2019); Selected, Nearby Exhibition (2020); Bronze, IDA Design Award (2020); Winner, Asia Design Prize (2020); and Honorable Mention, Platinum Originality (2020).
In this widely traveled work, the fast development of modern society is showcased. Mr. Chen shows how many things are immutable and frozen, people become the labor of work and life, and how the original passion is gradually lost under the pressure of work. However, Mr. Chen’s work conveys how everyone is an independent self and has their true colors, and how finding that unique identity is the true color.
Furthermore, his work continued to shine in the spotlight as it was also featured in the “Human Form & Figure Juried Online Exhibition” throughout September 2023, extending its reach to art enthusiasts around the world. Put on by SCORE (Southern California Open Regional Exhibitions), Human Form & Figure exhibit reflects “the limitless possibilities of the human figure. From the realistic to the abstract, the human body has been a source of art since the beginning of time. Whether in movement or at rest, in color or black & white, the human form beckons artists’ desire to visualize who we are.”
In a remarkable display of his talent and versatility, Yu Chen’s creations were prominently displayed in a total of five exhibitions, spanning North America and Europe between July and October 2023. Notable among these exhibitions were his participation in the “Time Constraint Exhibition” in the United States and his contributions to the esteemed “Venice International Art Fair” and “Rome International Art Fair” in Italy.
As seen throughout, Yu Chen’s innovative and thought-provoking art has earned him over 40 international design awards. Yu Chen has continued to showcase his talents and has proven his broad range across the artistic community.
Author: Thomas Chen, An experienced designer dedicated to exploring the latest developments in art and design
