Yiyun Chen is a photographer, artist, and educator born and raised in Guangdong, China, and currently based in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2015 he received his Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from Cleveland State University, and in 2018 Yiyun earned his MFA in photography and related media from Rochester Institute of Technology. Yiyun is known for portraits and artist books and his poetic images of immigrants.

Chen’s process for making work comes out of his daily practice of walking in and photographing unfamiliar places, such as the streets of small towns and cities, parks, and the interiors of buildings. Throughout the work, there is a repetition of motifs, visualizing the contradiction between the old memories and his current reality. This practice reminds Chen of his early experiences living in the United States.