Artist Yanran Chen (often known as Chloe Chen) is main the cost in reimagining modern visible tradition by a surrealist, sci-fi lens — honing in on her distinctive cross-disciplinary artwork that blends illustration and sculpture. At simply 19 years outdated, Chen has already amassed a social media following of over 300,000 — a testomony to her resonance with a brand new technology of digital-native artwork lovers.
The Beijing-born artist is famend for her otherworldly, sci-fi-inspired works that mix dreamlike imagery with futuristic aesthetics. Her influences are deeply rooted in Japanese-style manga and experimental French movies, leading to creations that discover themes of id, consciousness and the human situation. In a 2022 interview with Harper’s BAZAAR Vietnam, Chen shared her admiration for traditional horror comedian artists, stating, “I like the outdated horror comedian artists. I’m drawn to the mysterious ambiance of their work and have at all times been fascinated by horror comedian tales.”
2023 was a pivotal 12 months for Chen, who showcased her first solo exhibition in Tokyo earlier than occurring to exhibit throughout the globe — together with in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Budapest, Taipei and Las Vegas. She went on to take part in ComplexCon 3 times: in Hong Kong (March 2024 and March 2025) and in Los Angeles (November 2024).
Yanran Chen
In keeping with a 2024 article by China Day by day, seasoned artwork agent Pei Lifan noticed that at Chen’s solo exhibition in Tokyo, the vast majority of her items have been “swiftly acquired by collectors” — a transparent indication of her rising demand within the worldwide artwork market. Her work has been significantly well-received in cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong, together with her cyberpunk-style sculptures drawing vital consideration. There has even been curiosity in having a few of her items mass-produced or reworked into collectible figures. Pei Lifan additionally highlighted Chen’s meticulous method to her craft, describing her as a “perfectionist” who consistently refines the intricate particulars of her work.
This consideration to element — mixed with a robust undercurrent of self-expression — has turn out to be a defining attribute of her dreamlike aesthetic. Chen typically centres her work across the “depiction of ladies”, a theme that she attributes to a deep private reflection. Her characters — created at completely different factors in her life — are a illustration of her struggles and explorations of real-world points. Whereas these figures visually characterize features of her creative character, she notes that they don’t totally encapsulate her total self.
Her notable works embrace sculptures like The Mechanical Lifeform and Dinner, which showcase her capacity to merge natural types with mechanical parts. Relating to skilled highlights, her solo exhibition NOWHERE at SOMSOC Gallery in Tokyo marked a breakthrough second, adopted by an look within the SOMSOC Artwork Present 23 A/W. She continued to make waves throughout main worldwide platforms, together with Artwork Market Budapest and ART AMOY in Xiamen. In 2024, Chen’s work travelled additional, with showings at ART021 Shanghai, the Trendy Artwork Museum’s Rekindle exhibition and OPENFILE at Shanghai’s chi K11 artwork museum. That very same 12 months, she held a solo present at Tokyo’s famend Tsutaya Books in Daikanyama and showcased at ART TAIPEI, the Budapest Artwork Exhibition and ComplexCon in each Hong Kong and Las Vegas (the place she unveiled six sculptures from her “The Playpower Assortment” mission) — affirming her place on the intersection of latest visible tradition and collectable design.
A bevy of worldwide manufacturers — such because the German pocket book line LEUCHTTURM1917 and the Italian luxurious label Gucci — have additionally taken discover of her and her creative creations. Past the gallery circuit, Yanran Chen has turn out to be an more and more outstanding determine in model collaborations and multimedia cultural tasks. She served because the co-artist of “The Playpower Assortment” for WaarWorld — the animation label tied to Liu Cixin’s The Supernova Period — bringing her futuristic visible language to the realm of science fiction storytelling. Chen was additionally named model ambassador for LEUCHTTURM1917 China, launching a co-branded assortment titled “Mirror Wonderland: Discover Inside and Past,” which included limited-edition stationery and curated present bins. Within the luxurious toy trade, she teamed up with toy designer ROBBi for a collaborative capsule assortment entitled “Ember”.
Her visible presence prolonged additional by shoots with manufacturers like R13, Songmont, and Balenciaga × Wonderland, in addition to her participation in MODE Journal’s Girls’s Day particular characteristic. Chen additionally took half in iQiyi’s well-liked actuality collection Life Present Vogue as a featured artistic and was a visitor on Chinese language actor Yuan Hong’s private artwork programme #Artknock, additional cementing her crossover attraction between the visible arts and well-liked tradition. Her 2024 paintings DRAGON was commissioned for the Chinese language Loong Yr— a symbolic nod to her cultural roots and modern imaginative and prescient.
A conceptual sculptor identified for her use of unconventional supplies, Yanran Chen stands on the forefront of a brand new cultural motion — creating collectable works that blur the strains between high-quality artwork and futurism. Along with increasing her follow into sculpture, Chen expresses a want to discover different mediums, together with animation. She hopes to experiment with creating shifting installations and can also be eager to develop her personal line of toys. What does the long run maintain for Yanran Chen? Along with her surreal, genre-defying method and rising worldwide acclaim, it’s clear she isn’t just a part of the subsequent wave of artwork — she is main it.
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