Today we’d like to introduce you to Hua Chen.
Hua, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I’ve been taking art lessons in some form or another recreationally since first grade—none of the other extracurriculars I was enrolled in ever stuck, and by middle school, I’d decided to try and pursue some form of art or design as a career.
My body of work up until college was primarily oil paintings and drawings, and I’d had my heart set on going into editorial illustration. When I started school at Pratt, however, I took a few courses in 3D Design and Color Theory—which unearthed an interest in the intersections of image and idea and the structure of systems. This led me to shift my focus to graphic design instead.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I create systems, whether I am dealing with graphics, strategy, or language. As I learned more about the function of design, it became clear that there needed to be a point of view or purpose behind the work that I made, and that design is not something that can be limited to visuals, but that extends into conceptual and physical infrastructure.
Much of my experience thus far has been working collaboratively on publication materials for Pratt Institute, and my practice has shifted to be centered around creating design tools and platforms for discourse for others (whether that materializes in pedagogical resources, brand identity, data visualization, etc.). I’d hope that others find these tools helpful for their own learning and that there are things that can be expanded upon for bigger projects and future initiatives. The goal is to allow others to be able to communicate clearly and efficiently.
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
As a designer who creates things intended to communicate on a broad level, a big consideration is how imagery reads to different people. Art (and design) has always served as a lens by which to view larger societal issues, and context and audience are key. A responsible designer should be able to create work that is equitable and accessible.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work can be found online at https://hchndesign.com/, and some (a very sparse few) current projects can be found on Instagram @h.ch.n.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hchndesign.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h.ch.n/
Image Credit:
Stephanie O’Byrne
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