Bio

Marlene Yuen is a Vancouver-based artist who received her bachelor’s of studio arts in 1998 from the University of British Columbia. Marlene has exhibited at galleries, artist-run centers, and cultural events in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Japan. Although she is a multidisciplinary artist, her current focus is on handmade books; her artist books have been retained in special collections nationally and internationally.

Currently, Marlene is focusing her subject matters on Chinese Canadian labour history and preservation of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. She is working on her next artist book about Vancouver, Chinatown’s last print shop, Ho Sun Hing Printers.

Artist Statement

Marlene Yuen is a storyteller; she creates comics, prints and book works to convey stories. She weaves text and imagery to create sequential art. She finds inspiration from graphic design, children picture books, patterns, vintage handbills, and posters. After years of making one of a kind books, she rediscovered printmaking as being an essential part of her practice. The ability to print multiples allows for further sharing and passing on of stories.

Curriculum Vitae

Education

1998 – Bachelor of Arts, major: Studio Arts, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC

Solo Exhibitions

2020 – Cheap! Diligent! Faithful!, grunt gallery, Vancouver, BC

2018 – Coal, Gold & War, Campbell River Art Gallery, Satellite Space, Campbell River, BC

2017 – After Gold Mountain, Worker’s Art & Heritage Centre, Hamilton, ON

Group Exhibitions

2021 (upcoming) – Whose Chinatown? Griffin Art Projects, North Vancouver, BC

2019 – MAU Calendar Pop-Up, BC Artscape, Sun Wah Centre, Vancouver, BC

2018 – Prairie Art Book Fair, Plug In ICA, Winnipeg, MB

2017 – Vancouver Art Book Fair, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2017 – Flotilla/Flotille, (Or Gallery), Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

2017 – Zineposium, The Spice Factory, Hamilton, ON

2017 – Winter BAiR Open Studio, Project Space, The Banff Centre, Banff, AB

2015 – Practice, Emily Carr University of Art & Design Concourse Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2013 – 918 Letterpress Printed Ephemera Show, Samford University, Birmingham, AL

2013 – Sheffield International Artist’s Book Prize Exhibit, Bank Street Arts, Sheffield, UK

2012 – Frans Masereel Amongst Others, Frans Masereel Centrum, Kasterlee, Belgium

2011 – Biennial WAYZGOOSE 2011, Vancouver Public Library Central branch, Vancouver, BC

2011 – Grafiek Vandaag, Contextual Impressions, Kasteel Le Paige, Herentals, Belgium

2010 – Colin Waeghe/FMC Artist Book Collection, Frans Masereel Centrum, Kasterlee, Belgium

2010 – Colin Waeghe/FMC Artist Book Collection, Kaleid Editions, London, UK

2010 – The Illustrated Accordion, Kalamazoo Book Arts Centre Gallery, Kalamazoo, MI

2009 – BookMarked, Gallery 96 / Stratford Public Library, Stratford, ON

2009 – Hot Off the Press, Malaspina Printmakers Society Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2008 – Book Variations, South Vitrines, Habourfront Centre, Toronto, ON

2008 – Ground Zero Redux, Helen Pitt Gallery ARC, Vancouver, BC

2007 – Stumptown Comics Festival 2007, Lloyd Centre Doubletree Exhibit Hall, Portland, OR

2007 – text form material meaning, Emily Carr Institute Concourse Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2006 – Something Pale Pink, Birdo Flugas Gallery, Shiogama, Japan

2006 – Something Pale Pink, Sign Gaienmae Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

2005 – Yesterday, Western Front Society, Vancouver, BC

2005 – Mobile Gallery Archive, Or Gallery, Vancouver, BC

2004 – 13 Persistent Bodies, Video In Studios, Vancouver, BC

Artist Residencies

2017 – The Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, Banff, AB

2011 – Frans Masereel Centrum, Flemish Centre for Graphic Arts, Kasterlee, Belgium

2011 – PlaatsMaken, Silkscreen Studio, Arnhem, The Netherlands

2010 – Frans Masereel Centrum, Flemish Centre for Graphic Arts, Kasterlee, Belgium

2009 – Winter Printmaking/Letterpress Residency, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC

2008 – Klondike Institute of Art & Culture, Dawson City, YT

Artist Talks

2020 – Gallery Walkthrough of Cheap! Diligent! Faithful, grunt gallery and VABF 2020, Vancouver, BC
2020 – Studio Duo, Art Gallery of Burlington & Halton School District, Burlington, Ontario

2017 – After Gold Mountain, Worker’s Arts & Heritage Centre, Hamilton, ON

2008 – AIR/Open Studio, Klondike Institute of Art & Culture, Dawson City, YT

Awards

2020 – British Columbia Arts Council, Microgrants

2019 – British Columbia Arts Council, Project Assistance for Visual Artist

2017 – Post-Residency Alumni Award, The Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity

2016 – Canada Council for the Arts, Professional Visual Artist Travel Grant

2016 – Canada Council for the Arts, Project Grant to Visual Artist

2016 – British Columbia Arts Council, Project Assistance for Visual Artist

2008 – Canada Council for the Arts, Professional Visual Artist Travel Grant

Special Projects

2018 – Indian Summer Festival/Vancouver Art Gallery: Museum Bhavan, Dayanita Singh

2018 – Makers Artist United, Chinatown Vancouver, 2019 Calendar project by Elisa Yon

2018 – Chinatown Utility Wraps Project, City of Vancouver commission

Professional Development

2016 – Southern Graphics Conference International, FLUX, Portland, OR

2007 – Workshop: The Graphic Novel Intensive, PNCA, Portland, OR

Teaching Experience

2018 – Bookmaking Workshop, Mom & Kid Camp, Camp Fircom, Gambier Island, BC

2018 – Bookmaking Basics Workshop, Campbell River Art Gallery, Campbell River, BC

2017 – Zine Making Workshop, Centre3, Hamilton, ON

2016 – Culture Days: Letterpress Workshop, Emily Carr University, Vancouver, BC

2008 – 3D Pop-ups, Art Camp (ages 6-9), KIAC, Dawson City, YT

2008 – Paper Engineers,(ages 10-13), KIAC & Dawson Recreation, Dawson City, YT

Reviews + Publications

2017 – Tor Lukasik-Foss, Art Gallery of Hamilton, review of “After Gold Mountain”, Critical Superbeast

2008 – Jeremy Todd, Curatorial Essay: “Ground Zero Redux”, Helen Pitt Gallery ARC

2005 – Robin Laurence, “Retro Pop Culture is Yesterday’s News” The Georgia Straight,

2005 – Vanessa Kwan, Essay: “Yesterday: A Partial History”, Centre A & Powell Street Festival

Permanent Collections

University of Victoria, McPherson Library, Victoria, BC

North Island College Library Special Collections, Courtenay, BC

Emily Carr University of Art & Design Library, Vancouver, BC

Vancouver Public Library Central Branch, Special Collections, Vancouver, BC

University of British Columbia, Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, BC

W.A.C. Bennett Library Special Collections, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC

The Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity, Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives, Banff, AB

Bruce Peel Special Collections Library, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

York University, Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, Toronto, ON

The Town of Chester Public Library, Chestertown, NY

Letterpress & Printmaking Archive, Penland School of Crafts, NC

Frans Masereel Centrum, Flemish Centre for Graphic Arts, Kasterlee, Belgium

Book Stockists

grunt gallery

Or Gallery

Vancouver Art Gallery

Walter Phillips Gallery

Email

marlene.yuen@gmail.com

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Ⓒ 2020 Marlene Yuen. All rights reserved.