Check out Angeline Chen’s Artwork

Angeline, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Hi! I am an illustrator and graphic designer. I was born and raised by an engineer dad and an accountant mom in San Jose, California. Although my parents weren’t artistic people, my mom enrolled me in various weekend art classes ranging from classical Chinese dance to clarinet lessons and eventually drawing lessons. I began taking drawing fundamentals classes when I was 12 and continued until I got accepted into Laguna College of Art and Design, where I recently graduated with a BFA in Illustration.

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?
Describing my artwork is very difficult because I haven’t found my own visual style yet, which is due to my dislike for repetition. All I know is that when I make art, I aim to have fun and entertain myself, so naturally, my work lands on the humorous side. Usually, the flow of ideas begins when I’m driving, and my mind is idle. Some ideas arise from observation, and as unlikely as this sounds, others just come out of thin air.

Having playful ideas is enjoyable, but sometimes it worries me that people won’t be able to take me seriously. There have been times where I try to create work that is less comical, but in the end, my subconscious takes the wheel, and I end up with something silly again. This has frustrated me from time to time because I want people to clearly see that I am multifaceted. This is especially due to a few reactions to my work, where people found some of my pieces to be pointless.

Obviously, it doesn’t feel good to have my work belittled, so I tried to understand the root of this. It came to my realization that my default to humor is directly correlated to the fact that for the majority of my life, I haven’t had a fantastic relationship with my dad. Quite often, we would have incredibly intense fights. It would get pretty messy at times. But on the other end of the spectrum, he would occasionally tell nonsensical jokes and stories that were astonishingly outlandish. These were the interactions with my dad that I truly appreciated. Through this, I found that humor is comfort. Humor is my safe place, and it’s okay to allow myself to have fun with what I create. Ultimately I will still try to vary the tone in my work, but there’s no use being upset over it.

For those who view my work, I want them to remember that it’s not a crime to fool around a bit.

Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
Since the beginning of time, the role of the artist has always been the same. Whether it’s to entertain, to spread awareness, or to impart morals, people today still create for the same reasons. But more than before, I feel that today’s artists are expected to make work that circulates impactful messages to the outside world and not solely create privately. Particularly with the emergence of social media, we all see the power of information.

I have to admit that I don’t understand politics very well, so I can’t say that world events and issues make a big footprint in my work. Despite being very intimidated by social and political issues, I do intend on ending my ignorance-is-bliss days. Perhaps there will be a new wave of work coming soon!

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?
Currently, I’m not exhibiting anywhere, but you can see my work on my website: angelinecc.com, or my Instagram page: @angelinecc_art. You can support me by following me on Instagram, or by telling everyone that you think my work is very cool!