Meet Yalan Wen | Visual & New Media Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yalan Wen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yalan, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’ve always been inspired by the environment around me. Not only was I influenced by my artistic father, but also by growing up surrounded by nature and observing it from a different perspective. I have found that nature itself poses infinite questions and provides answers. Nature is something that we all have experienced in common, and it motivates me to create something that people can relate to. Creating a feeling that touches people’s hearts is something that I hope to achieve in my artwork.
 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Born into a traditional family in Taiwan, I often felt the pressure to conform to societal expectations. Initially, I aspired to become a doctor or engineer but soon realized that cultivating a balanced mindset and value system should take precedence over technological advancements.

Art has always fascinated me for its ability to transcend boundaries. It offers us the freedom to imagine, explore, express, and create without limits. I’ve dabbled in various forms of art, from computer-generated pieces involving coding and sound, to installations, as well as traditional mediums like oil and pencil drawings. These tools allow me to express myself in diverse ways, exploring different forms of creativity.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Talking about my secret route in Manhattan that I always bring my friend around, it’ll be a tour starting from Lower Manhattan. We kick things off in the Lower East Side at the New Museum, then we venture through the enchanting Freeman Alley, strolling through the vibrant neighborhoods of Nolita, Soho, and Chinatown.

But the real magic happens when we hit the Manhattan Bridge. From there, you’re treated to a mesmerizing view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River that’s just out of this world.

Once we reach Dumbo, it’s time for a sweet treat at Time Out Market. Enjoying a scoop of gelato by the carousel while admiring couples posing for their wedding photos.

And to top it all off, we make our way back across the Brooklyn Bridge. There’s something truly special about walking along the wooden path as the sun sets—it’s a sight that never fails to leave us in awe.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Speaking of a profound event in my life, the most recent one was the art residency I did in France, Château d’Orquevaux Art Residency. I met several artists from different fields, including passionate musicians, sentimental and wise writers, and bold multimedia artists. We all express ourselves in various ways, spending hours improving lyrics, writing, and painting with watercolors, oil, and acrylics, among other mediums. Yet, we are all open-minded and comfortable having deep conversations. This mindset truly made a difference; we started to feel connected and began approaching our artworks from different angles, which led me to think differently. I love how these kinds of events take me on unknown adventures.

I also want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the amazing people who have supported me along my journey. From the incredible artists I got to know during my time at the West Harlem Art Fund, to the lively communities over at Creative Code Berlin and Creative Code NYC, I’ve been truly blessed with wonderful support networks. And a special shoutout to my mentors/friends like Michael Romeo, Benton C Bainbridge, and Hans Tammen – I couldn’t have done it without their unwavering guidance and encouragement. Thanks a million to each and every one of them!

Website: https://yalanwen.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yalanlanlan/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yalan-wen-822058a9/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yalanlanlan

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yalanlanlan

Other: Artist Statement As an artist making paintings, installations, and mixed media artworks, Yalan Wen looks for the similarities between people’s thoughts and actions to know what connects them. She takes inspiration directly from her surrounding environment. The subjects include aspects of ordinary life that usually go unnoticed. By putting them in an unexpected context, she changes their meanings. Yalan’s works playfully experiment with levels of consciousness and behavior such as inaction, omission, and aleatoric processes. The compositions or settings present poetic images that balance the work on the edge of recognition and alienation. Combining symbolic ideas and graphic language, using programming for linear organization, and also allowing randomness in the process, the artworks function with known and unknown elements.

Image Credits
The photo with crayons – photographed by Robert Koudijs