We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vivian Chen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vivian below.

Vivian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Industrial design, furniture design, ceramics, and photography.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an industrial designer during the day, and I make my art when I’m home. While as an industrial designer, finding creative solutions and making meaningful products is a lot of fun, I find a lot of other hobbies that I want to make something out of them. As a creative, creating and making statements is what I can’t help doing.

I make ceramics, this is something that I picked up in college and constantly find my way back to it. Throwing forms on the wheel is extremely meditating. I come to fully embrace the unpredictable in ceramics making, from forms to textures and glazes. And pinching forms just elevates that point to another level.

I also love street photography. I love connecting to the world around me through a camera—or sometimes, irresistibly, multiple cameras. I have a few photography projects in the works, and I hope to share them as soon as possible.

Lastly is making furniture and lighting, which does relate to industrial design. I have been developing some lighting pieces that will be shown during the Milan Design week next year. Furniture design does give me a lot of opportunities to prototype and make stuff, and I really value that. I would hope to make more furniture and try different materials and manufacturing techniques.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think a creative environment is very important. In areas where there are many good museums and galleries, it’s usually where many creatives would gather. Artists are always trying to find communities, they need to communicate and learn from each other, while of course creating their own unique art. But being immersed in an area that you are constantly inspired is critical to many artists.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

To be honest, an artist is someone that needs to constantly make his/her vision no matter what, an artist always need to create. So for me, it may not be that I want my art to be recognized or go somewhere, but rather I just want to make things because I believe in it. But I would say, being recognized and getting invited to shows is definitely rewarding, when my chair was selected to show in the Milan design week, I was very happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vivianchendesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivianchendesign/