Cyril Chen (陳嘉雯, they/them, b. 1998) is an animation filmmaker and expanded media artist who was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Treaty 4 Territory with family from the Guangdong and Hong Kong regions of China. Cyril’s work stems from the exploration of migration, separation, and the ways in which we are intertwined with cyberspace.
Their work and words have been featured on: CBC, Hyperallergic, the Toronto Times, Narcity, Mackenzie Art Gallery, Neutral Ground Artist Run Centre, Canada’s National Observer, Lunenburg Doc Fest, the Nova Scotia Advocate, and the Animation Festival of Halifax.
Currently they are a third year Honours Bachelor of Animation student at Sheridan College. They previously studied expanded media at NSCAD University. They are based in Regina, SK and Oakville, ON.
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Contact the artist through this link. Or Email: cyrilwchen@gmail.com
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Education
Honours Bachelor of Animation @ Sheridan College // (Oakville_ON_2019).
Expanded Media & Animation @ NSCAD University, Halifax, NS // 2016-2019 Earned full credits from: University of Waterloo Global Business and Digital Arts, (Waterloo_ON_2016). Dalhousie University Arts and Sciences (Halifax_NS_2017-2018). University of Regina Studio Arts (Regina_SK_2019).
WORK
_Livestream & workshop artist // Mackenzie Art Gallery // Regina, SK // started Nov 28, 2020
_Interim Communications & Member Services Coordinator // Saskatchewan Filmpool // Regina, SK // 2020
_Gallery & Archive Assistant // Neutral Ground Artist Run Centre // Regina, SK // 2020 & 2021
_Contract Artist // CBC Creator Network // (Remote) Oakville, ON // Started Nov 15, 2019
_Junior Communications Consultant // Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of Government Relations // Regina, SK // 2017 & 2019
screenings + film PANELS
// One Take Super 8 | 拜山 ( baai3 saan1) | Regina Public Library Film Theatre | Regina, SK / Oct. 16, 2021 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvucgixW0lI
// Animation Festival of Halifax | Select artist for Vegan Delights and Big Picture Panel: Recipes for Community in a time of Disaster | Halifax, NS / May 8, 2021
Films: RAW (CBC, 2020) and Mom's Garden - 妈妈的菜园 (independent, 2019) - https://afx.eventive.org/schedule/6088cb601ccf790075af339e - https://afx.eventive.org/schedule/6088cb601ccf790075af339f - https://afx.eventive.org/films/60721c63683afa00d36cddaf
// Lunenburg Doc Festival - CBC Shorts: In Search of Ourselves - RAW - Animation Director - http://lunenburgdocfest.com/film/standing-up-short-docs-by-indigenous-filmmakers/?fbclid=IwAR3KFke3kc14wC8vZCNn4DpCXE0J02SWhBya-nIpM_nEOKKLVxWwQXrsNmE - https://watch.eventive.org/lunenburgdocfest/play/5f5e8ac8f2e588005383eb1c/5f56982eb6231b00299f5a2f?fbclid=IwAR3Ih3N0KRBw0qniMl6HlE49jOhqvLzP5fuPYkt9CnLrT9DF1mrQTDf0UBU - Lunenburg NS - September 24-30, 2020
// Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival - Hood Habits Animated, special premiere - Co-Director and Animator - https://nsadvocate.org/2019/04/21/news-release-its-happening-the-9th-annual-emerging-lens-cultural-film-festival-april-24-25-26-27-and-the-28th-in-truro-and-new-glasgow/ - https://globalnews.ca/video/5180342/emerging-lens-cultural-film-festival-3 - https://www.theemerginglens.com/ - Halifax NS - April 24-28, 2019
Films: RAW (CBC, 2020) and Mom's Garden - 妈妈的菜园 (independent, 2019) - https://afx.eventive.org/schedule/6088cb601ccf790075af339e - https://afx.eventive.org/schedule/6088cb601ccf790075af339f - https://afx.eventive.org/films/60721c63683afa00d36cddaf
// Lunenburg Doc Festival - CBC Shorts: In Search of Ourselves - RAW - Animation Director - http://lunenburgdocfest.com/film/standing-up-short-docs-by-indigenous-filmmakers/?fbclid=IwAR3KFke3kc14wC8vZCNn4DpCXE0J02SWhBya-nIpM_nEOKKLVxWwQXrsNmE - https://watch.eventive.org/lunenburgdocfest/play/5f5e8ac8f2e588005383eb1c/5f56982eb6231b00299f5a2f?fbclid=IwAR3Ih3N0KRBw0qniMl6HlE49jOhqvLzP5fuPYkt9CnLrT9DF1mrQTDf0UBU - Lunenburg NS - September 24-30, 2020
// Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival - Hood Habits Animated, special premiere - Co-Director and Animator - https://nsadvocate.org/2019/04/21/news-release-its-happening-the-9th-annual-emerging-lens-cultural-film-festival-april-24-25-26-27-and-the-28th-in-truro-and-new-glasgow/ - https://globalnews.ca/video/5180342/emerging-lens-cultural-film-festival-3 - https://www.theemerginglens.com/ - Halifax NS - April 24-28, 2019
PUBLICATIONS
// On International Transgender Day of Visibility, artist Cyril Chen explores Happiness - CBC Nova Scotia | First Person - comic and written piece - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/happy-place-cyril-chen-1.5971050?utm_campaign=likeshopme&utm_medium=instagram&utm_source=dash%20hudson&utm_content=www.instagram.com/p/CNGISrYH7x8/ - Halifax, Nova Scotia / March 31, 2021
// RIP Adobe Flash: Five Takeaways About the Plug-In's Legacy in Net Art - by Rea McNamara - HYPERALLERGIC - https://hyperallergic.com/609682/rip-adobe-flash-five-takeaways-about-the-plug-ins-legacy-in-net-art/ - Brooklyn NY / Dec 18, 2020
// Raw Talent: How this spoken word video came to be - Featured Artist - CBC Nova Scotia - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/community/raw-talent-how-this-spoken-word-video-came-to-be-1.5479690?fbclid=IwAR1k3j0NRObi-bqo5x9v3EXPAF9zo-MG3oRt7Q0S-4s3znb1y-gWY9eeF2w - NS, CAN - 2020
___________________________________________________// On International Transgender Day of Visibility, artist Cyril Chen explores Happiness - CBC Nova Scotia | First Person - comic and written piece - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/happy-place-cyril-chen-1.5971050?utm_campaign=likeshopme&utm_medium=instagram&utm_source=dash%20hudson&utm_content=www.instagram.com/p/CNGISrYH7x8/ - Halifax, Nova Scotia / March 31, 2021
// RIP Adobe Flash: Five Takeaways About the Plug-In's Legacy in Net Art - by Rea McNamara - HYPERALLERGIC - https://hyperallergic.com/609682/rip-adobe-flash-five-takeaways-about-the-plug-ins-legacy-in-net-art/ - Brooklyn NY / Dec 18, 2020
// Raw Talent: How this spoken word video came to be - Featured Artist - CBC Nova Scotia - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/community/raw-talent-how-this-spoken-word-video-came-to-be-1.5479690?fbclid=IwAR1k3j0NRObi-bqo5x9v3EXPAF9zo-MG3oRt7Q0S-4s3znb1y-gWY9eeF2w - NS, CAN - 2020
// Raw: A spoken word piece that speaks to being true to yourself - Animator and Co-Director - CBC Creator Network - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/raw-spoken-word-nova-scotia-1.5473945?utm_campaign=likeshopme&utm_medium=instagram&utm_source=dash%20hudson&utm_content=www.instagram.com/p/B8_Y1zPHOVL/ - NS, CAN - 2020
// Burning Magazine - illustration - November Issue - "WANTING TO POSSESS A CANDLE FLAME WHEN U HAVE THE SUN" - https://expozine.ca/en/fair/fair-2020/ - https://issuu.com/burningmagazine/docs/b_u_r_n_i_n_g_no_1_layout_zine_spreads - https://www.instagram.com/p/B4cngJChF8v/ - Halifax NS - 2019
// Burning Magazine - illustration - November Issue - "WANTING TO POSSESS A CANDLE FLAME WHEN U HAVE THE SUN" - https://expozine.ca/en/fair/fair-2020/ - https://issuu.com/burningmagazine/docs/b_u_r_n_i_n_g_no_1_layout_zine_spreads - https://www.instagram.com/p/B4cngJChF8v/ - Halifax NS - 2019
// Wave/Particle Duality - Science Friday Reads Stephen Hawking - ello artist invite shortlist - https://ello.co/invites/science-friday-reads-stephen-hawking - https://ello.co/cyberspacevoid/post/7_snejo63x6irjtxgc4pog - 2018
// Canadian Youth occupy MP Offices across the country calling for climate action - Canada's National Observer - Photographer - https://www.nationalobserver.com/2018/11/30/news/canadian-youth-occupy-mp-offices-across-country-calling-climate-action - Halifax NS - November 30, 2018
// Divest Dal Campout - No More Excuses - The Nova Scotia Advocate - Photographer - https://nsadvocate.org/2017/11/27/divest-dal-campout-no-more-excuses/ - Halifax NS - November 27, 2017
workshops + DEMOS / panel discussion
// Digging Through SOIL - online gathering & artist discussion - Neutral Ground Artist-Run Centre & Mackenzie Art Gallery - Gone in a Flash Series - https://neutralground.sk.ca/?page=eventdetail&year=2020&id=2020121120225112 - https://www.facebook.com/events/1388545388210568/ - Regina, SK / Dec 19, 2020
// Gone in a Flash Livestream Series - Saving Your Flash Art from the Grave - Mackenzie Art Gallery & Neutral Ground Artist Run Centre - Flash Archiving Workshop using Conifer - https://mackenzie.art/event/gone-in-a-flash-workshop-saving-your-flash-art-from-the-grave/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ3o6iGLcrs&t=1s - https://mackenzie.art/gone-in-a-flash/ - Regina SK / Dec 10, 2020
// Gone in a Flash Livestream Series - Panel Discussion with Dragan Espencheid, Jonas Richner and Clara Chen - Mackenzie Art Gallery & Neutral Ground Artist Run Centre - https://mackenzie.art/event/gone-in-a-flash-panel-discussion/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVYwhtJyx9Y - Regina SK / Nov 28, 2020
EXHIBITIONS
// AR Animation Artist - Toronto Junction BIA - First Annual Winter Wonderland Window Exhibit - https://totimes.ca/window-art-comes-to-life-right-before-your-eyes/?fbclid=IwAR2m3DsI_9Xk6ws6pjIlHJ2_cNaOo39pNLiwg01AX_AKmGLa76LBijnY4xo- https://www.narcity.com/en-ca/things-to-do/toronto/torontos-first-alternate-reality-exhibition-has-hit-the-junction-its-so-magical - - Toronto, ON - Nov 2020
// Divest Dal Campout - No More Excuses - The Nova Scotia Advocate - Photographer - https://nsadvocate.org/2017/11/27/divest-dal-campout-no-more-excuses/ - Halifax NS - November 27, 2017
workshops + DEMOS / panel discussion
// Digging Through SOIL - online gathering & artist discussion - Neutral Ground Artist-Run Centre & Mackenzie Art Gallery - Gone in a Flash Series - https://neutralground.sk.ca/?page=eventdetail&year=2020&id=2020121120225112 - https://www.facebook.com/events/1388545388210568/ - Regina, SK / Dec 19, 2020
// Gone in a Flash Livestream Series - Saving Your Flash Art from the Grave - Mackenzie Art Gallery & Neutral Ground Artist Run Centre - Flash Archiving Workshop using Conifer - https://mackenzie.art/event/gone-in-a-flash-workshop-saving-your-flash-art-from-the-grave/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ3o6iGLcrs&t=1s - https://mackenzie.art/gone-in-a-flash/ - Regina SK / Dec 10, 2020
// Gone in a Flash Livestream Series - Panel Discussion with Dragan Espencheid, Jonas Richner and Clara Chen - Mackenzie Art Gallery & Neutral Ground Artist Run Centre - https://mackenzie.art/event/gone-in-a-flash-panel-discussion/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVYwhtJyx9Y - Regina SK / Nov 28, 2020
EXHIBITIONS
// AR Animation Artist - Toronto Junction BIA - First Annual Winter Wonderland Window Exhibit - https://totimes.ca/window-art-comes-to-life-right-before-your-eyes/?fbclid=IwAR2m3DsI_9Xk6ws6pjIlHJ2_cNaOo39pNLiwg01AX_AKmGLa76LBijnY4xo- https://www.narcity.com/en-ca/things-to-do/toronto/torontos-first-alternate-reality-exhibition-has-hit-the-junction-its-so-magical - - Toronto, ON - Nov 2020
// Thoughts of a Digital Archivist - Window Gallery - Neutral Ground Artist Run Centre - https://www.neutralground.sk.ca/?page=eventdetail&year=2020&id=202091020000157 - https://www.gallerieswest.ca/events/clara-chen-thoughts-of-a-digital-archivist/ - Sep-Oct 2020
// Back alley art pops up in downtown Regina - CTV Regina - https://regina.ctvnews.ca/back-alley-art-pops-up-in-downtown-regina-1.5074770 - Regina, SK - 2020 { PostModern Bazaar - Alley Door Mural Artist - Regina Downtown BID - https://reginadowntown.ca/alley-door-art-artists-2020/ - 2020 }
// Nocturne 2019 - illustration and prose - A Soft Place - NSCAD Queer Collective - NSCAD Library Windows - 5163 Duke Street - https://www.instagram.com/p/B4AUumMnyG7/ - Halifax NS - Oct 24 2019
// Mom's Garden - Plants in Contemporary Art (group show) - University of Regina Faculty of Media, Art and Performance - https://vimeo.com/343377845 - 2019
// Anination: Animation Nation - Expanded Media Showcase (group show) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLPH69gkiUo&feature=emb_logo - NSCAD Film Academy - Halifax NS - 2019
// Nocturne 2019 - illustration and prose - A Soft Place - NSCAD Queer Collective - NSCAD Library Windows - 5163 Duke Street - https://www.instagram.com/p/B4AUumMnyG7/ - Halifax NS - Oct 24 2019
// Mom's Garden - Plants in Contemporary Art (group show) - University of Regina Faculty of Media, Art and Performance - https://vimeo.com/343377845 - 2019
// Anination: Animation Nation - Expanded Media Showcase (group show) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLPH69gkiUo&feature=emb_logo - NSCAD Film Academy - Halifax NS - 2019
// 唐人! - Printmaking Showcase (group show) - NSCAD Port Campus - Halifax NS - 2018
// Living Skies - Alley Door Mural Artist - RDBID - https://reginadowntown.ca/alleydoorart/ - Regina SK - 2018
// The Bus Ride - GBDA Digital Art Showcase - UWaterloo Stratford Campus - https://uwaterloo.ca/stratford-school-of-interaction-design-and-business/events/2017-project-showcase-and-reception - https://www.instagram.com/p/BgZ_A76l-Jk/ - digital illustration for Karin Schmidlin @ University of Waterloo Stratford Campus - Stratford ON - 2017
// Mosaic City - Traffic Box Digital Mural Artist - RDBID - https://reginadowntown.ca/trafficboxart/ - Regina SK - 2017
// Don't Trust a Skinny Chef - Painting - German Expressionists and their Contemporaries - Dunlop Art Gallery & Regina Central Library - Regina SK - 2017
residencies
// Digital Prototyper Residency @ MIGRATION // UKAI Projects // https://atinachang.github.io/musicpicnic/ // https://www.instagram.com/p/CCtPTG0AIc_/ // https://www.ukai.ca/eventsandworkshops/migration // 2020
CONTESTS
// 24 Hours Animation Film Contest - Sheridan College - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmAFwu8f-_A - Oakville, ON - Oct 10 2019
// Project: Better - QHacks Best Design Award - UX/UI Designer - Queen's University - https://devpost.com/software/better - https://twitter.com/AutocodeHQ/status/960172056959766529 - Kingston, ON - 2018
// Stratford Campus UXPerience Design Camp - Project: Beyond Innovation - University of Waterloo - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gduKB1tD_K9hkNHiIrF0siZfy2Gp2t9mm2g-C3Y7TGk/edit#slide=id.gd9c453428_0_16 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I5U2_mcjrg - Stratford, ON - 2016
volunteer
// Project Manager - third year group stop-motion animation film, Bridget, Sheridan College - Oakville, ON, 2021-2022
// Divest Dal - communications volunteer - Halifax, NS | 2017 -2019
residencies
// Digital Prototyper Residency @ MIGRATION // UKAI Projects // https://atinachang.github.io/musicpicnic/ // https://www.instagram.com/p/CCtPTG0AIc_/ // https://www.ukai.ca/eventsandworkshops/migration // 2020
CONTESTS
// 24 Hours Animation Film Contest - Sheridan College - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmAFwu8f-_A - Oakville, ON - Oct 10 2019
// Project: Better - QHacks Best Design Award - UX/UI Designer - Queen's University - https://devpost.com/software/better - https://twitter.com/AutocodeHQ/status/960172056959766529 - Kingston, ON - 2018
// Stratford Campus UXPerience Design Camp - Project: Beyond Innovation - University of Waterloo - https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gduKB1tD_K9hkNHiIrF0siZfy2Gp2t9mm2g-C3Y7TGk/edit#slide=id.gd9c453428_0_16 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I5U2_mcjrg - Stratford, ON - 2016
volunteer
// Project Manager - third year group stop-motion animation film, Bridget, Sheridan College - Oakville, ON, 2021-2022
// Divest Dal - communications volunteer - Halifax, NS | 2017 -2019
JURIES
// Nuit Blanche Regina - volunteer jury member - 2021 - https://nuitblancheregina.ca/- Regina, SK
// Neutral Ground Artist-Run Centre - paid jury member | 2022 - 2024 Programming | Regina, SK
// Neutral Ground Artist-Run Centre - paid jury member | 2022 - 2024 Programming | Regina, SK