Zou Chen Studio

About

Zou Chen is deeply engaged in a process-based, intuitive approach to form-making, which channels ever-evolving energy, emotions, and experiences into her ceramic creations. These pieces radiate élan vital and command a tangible existence. Her latest interests lie in exploring the intricate connections between the intuitive creative process, consciousness, the natural world, and mythological beliefs.

Zou holds an MFA in Ceramics from the Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA in New Media Art from the China Academy of Art. Her work has been exhibited at venues such as the Cranbrook Art Museum, the MDW Fair at Mana Contemporary Chicago, the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and the SNAP Art Center in Shanghai. Her work has also been featured in publications like Elle Décor and Architectural Digest.

In addition to her personal artistic pursuits, Zou Chen is a multidisciplinary artist and community builder. She is the founder of OpenArt, an art media platform committed to nurturing artist communities, and [soft], a magazine offering thoughtful and in-depth artist interviews.

CV

Education

2023MFA in Ceramics, Cranbrook Academy of Art | Bloomfield Hills, MI

2014MA in Interdisciplinary Arts, Columbia College Chicago | Chicago, IL

2011Certificate in Film Directing, EICAR | Paris, France

2008BFA in New Media Art, China Academy of Art | Hangzhou, China

Group Exhibitions

Nov 2023Untitled, China Shanghai International Arts Festival | Shanghai, China

Apr 2023Graduate Degree Exhibition, Cranbrook Art Museum | Bloomfield Hills, MI

Mar 2023AACCAA, Art Academy of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH

Feb 2023Mold Making, Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art | Bloomfield Hills, MI

Sep 2022Cranbrook Chair Show, First National Building | Detroit, MI

Sep 2022MDW Fair, Mana Contemporary | Chicago, IL

Aug 2022Fellows, SNAP Art Center | Shanghai, China

Mar 2022Brought to the Table, Cranbrook House, Cranbrook Center for Collection and Research | Bloomfield Hills, MI

Awards and Residencies

Oct 2023Jingdezhen International Studio, Taoxichuan Art Center | Jingdezhen, China

2021 - 2023Merit Scholarship, Cranbrook Academy of Art | Bloomfield Hills, MI

Mar 2023Maxwell-Hanrahan Foundation Materials Award

Mar 2023Self-Structured Residency, A-Z West | Joshua Tree, CA

Aug 2022Clay in Other Frames residency with full scholarship, Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts | Edgecomb, ME

Aug 2015AFFECT residency, Agora Collective – Center for Contemporary Practice | Berlin, Germany

Teaching Experience

2014 - 2017Assistant Professor in Public Art Program, School of Design, East China Normal University | Shanghai, China

Featured Publications

Sep 2021Topic, Elle Décor Magazine (China), vol. 204

Feb 2020ADTrends, AD Architectural Digest Magazine (China), vol. 106

Jul 2018ADTrends, AD Architectural Digest Magazine (China), vol. 87