Yen-Yu Lien

Yen-Yu, known as Yen, was born in Taiwan and pursues a career in ceramics while also  working as a graphic designer in Austin, Texas. Influenced by her family, she incorporates  watercolor painting and Chinese tea culture into her contemporary ceramic practice, creating  work with a textile and expressive sensibility, as well as fluid movement. To Yen, clay  possesses its own unique personality, representing both the inner spirit and outer form. 

Her artistic journey began in childhood through sketching and modeling as early forms of self expression. Today, clay acts as a “time machine,” reconnecting her with those early  experiences. She explores wheel-throwing and coil-building to create both functional pottery  and organic sculptures. 

Yen’s contemporary ceramic work blends form, texture, sound, and soft pastel colors to create  a gentle sensory experience. Her footless sculptural forms suggest movement—wiggling,  stretching, and reaching—capturing fleeting moments in time. She also experiments with glaze  chemistry, using electric and reduction firing to achieve rich surface effects. In addition, Yen  creates realistic works to celebrate meaningful moments and share them with the world. 

Through these processes, each piece becomes a vessel of energy and harmony, bridging the  gap between stillness and change. Yen’s work aims to spark joy, celebrate everyday blessings,  and foster positive emotional and cultural connections.