Vancouver-based Chinese Canadian artist, Marlene Yuen, is a storyteller at heart. After receiving her bachelor’s of studio arts from UBC in 1998, her work has since been exhibited at galleries, artist-run centres, and cultural events in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, Belgium, and Japan. Her current work centers around her handmade books and prints which have been conserved in special collections.
For this Lunar New Year, we collaborated with Marlene to create an original work to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.
Marlene shares her inspiration behind her artwork: “Lunar New Year is a time of celebration. As a child, I remember the excitement of the Lunar New Year parade in Vancouver. It was a true sensory and celebratory experience; dancing, loud drumming, yelling, firecrackers popping, cymbals clanging, and vibrant colours.”
Just this past year, Marlene was commissioned by Canada’s first Chinese Canadian Museum to celebrate their opening with her mural, titled “The Journeys Here” as part of their inaugural Odysseys and Migrations exhibit. Marlene’s mural combines iconic imagery that captures the people, places, and experiences that have shaped the Chinese-Canadian legacy. You can visit the museum to view Marlene’s mural in person at the historic Wing Sang building on East Pender Street until June 2024.
photo credit: Rachel Topham Photography
We would like to thank Marlene for participating in rennie’s artist program. You can explore more of her work at marleneyuen.com or on her Instagram at @marleneyuen.
