Yu Chen
Portraits of Belonging
November 2025 – September 2026

My work focuses on portrait painting, cultural identity, and personal stories. I was trained in both traditional Chinese painting and Western oil painting, and I combine these styles to explore ideas of heritage, belonging, and the emotions connected to migration.

As someone who promotes Hanfu and traditional Chinese culture, I’ve always been interested in how cultural traditions can be seen and understood today. This has led me to want to learn more about other cultures and use my art to build connections.

More recently, my work has focused on community-based projects. I invite people from different cultural backgrounds to share their stories with me and wear traditional clothing during live drawing sessions. Through this process, I hope to create portraits that not only show what someone looks like but also reflect their culture and personal experience.