About me

Yann Chen is a freelance illustrator born in China and currently based in London. She has a BFA degree in Illustration&Comic from China Academy of Art and recently graduated from UAL MA in Illustration and Visual Media, with experience in editorial illustration and marketing illustration for magazines and brands in years.

Yann's sights always land on the narrative approach of the illustration. She hopes to break down the language and culture barrier through her illustrations. Yann is continuously inspired by Asian culture, occultism, and humanity's emotions, she likes to draw illustrations that are sensitive and strong, with stable and calm shapes.

Selected clients include Youth Sanlian Lifeweek、WWF World Wide Fund for Nature、Ramona Mag、Firewords Mag、Transform Mag、China Campus Literature Magazine、BAZAAR MEN x Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) 、Douban、Is Light Poetry、Still Listening Mag、Kangshifu Brand x GumLab、ReadingCub Mag、Have You Met Web、Luoshenfu NFT Project、Ouch! Mag、Meituan Delivery x Links、Snow Beer and Sisters' Mutual Help.
When not working, Yann enjoys listening to podcasts about Crime Stories and Humanities, loving hidden emotions in poetry and literature, and of course, going for a walk in the park when the sunshine comes out.

​AWARDS
2025, BIBF北京国际图书博览会国际插画大赛, Shortlist (Editorial Published)
2024, LONDON INTERNATIONAL CREATIVE COMPETITION (LICC), Finalists in Create (art)
2024, IJUNGLE Illustration, New Talent (Student) Merit Awards
2024, IJUNGLE Illustration, Self-Promotion Merit Award
2023, 3 X 3 Illustration Competition, Merit
2023, Communication Arts, Award of Excellence
2023, Creative Quarterly 71, Runner-up
2019, Hiii Brand Illustration, Best of The Best

INTERVIEWS&TALKING
2024, GroundOohArt ｜Ooh Art Saturday | 橘盐Yann
2024, 画说自由 Podcast｜当我能够稳定我的内核，才真正开始了自由插画师之路。
2024, 鲸字号,｜在混沌中，固定住锚。｜鲸鱼岛之星·橘盐
2024, Shoutout LA,| Meet Yanjun Chen | Freelance illustrator and teacher
2023, Monologue | Illustrator Yann | Illustration is a safe exit to another world.
2023, Res Publica, | "Dreamscapes and Emotions: Exploring the Art of Yanjun Chen"
2023, 'Art Gallery | "YanjunChen: Thinking like a philosopher, Working like an artisan.
2023, , | "We want to talk to you about the present and future of "publication"
2023, FETCHLondon,| " Artist Article Interview: The Transcendental Philosophy of Yanjun Chen"
2022, 27 Project Artist Interview,| 'Say Something', EP1
2021, HiiiBrand Small ,| "Out of inspiration
2020, HiiiBrand Artist Interview, | "YanjunChen: Busy getting lost and dropping off to paint"

EXHIBITIONS&ART FAIR
2023, The Movie, Shanghai Touch Art Centre, Unicorn Publishing Group, Shanghai&London
2023, DIY Market, London
2023, Parallax Art Fair, Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London
2022, Purkinje Hermit Designer Popup Market, London

PUBLICATIONS&PRESS
2023, Illustration Annual 64th, New York, USA
2023, Issue 71 of Creative Quarterly, Brooklyn, USA
2023, Little Press 'Doppelganger: My Shadow Self', Gosh!Comic, London, UK
2022, Communication Arts Magazine, Belmont, USA
2021, HiiiBrand International Illustration Portfolio 7th, China
PHILANTHROPY&NON-PROFIT
2023, Illustrator, 'Just For Women-Exchanging illustrations for 1 year's supply of sanitary towels for girls from remote rural schools', 媎妹互助会Sister Sorority
2019, Illustrator, 'Enabling every child to have a cherished childhood' , 是光诗歌Shiguang Poetry Nonprofit
2015, Volunteer, Suzhou Tzu Chi Summer, Buddhist Compassion Relief 慈濟Tzu Chi Foundation, Taiwan

Skills

2D Animation, Graphic Design, Illustration, Motion Graphics

Sector Experience

Marketing, Media Operations Manager

Awards

3 X 3 Illustration Competition, Communication Arts Competition, Creative Quarterly, Hiiibrand Illustration Best of The Best, IJUNGLE ILLUSTRATION

Clients

BAZAARMEN, Firewords mag, GumLab, Is Light Poetry, Kangshifu brand, Medecins Sans Frontieres, Meituan Delivery, Ouch! Mag, Ramona Mag, Sisters' Mutual Help, Snow Beer, Still Listening Mag