Yu-chuan Chen

Assistant Professor of Art History
307 West Wilson Hall
248-370-2541
[email protected]

Yu-chuan Chen, assistant professor of art history, received his Ph.D. in art history from Stanford University. He specializes in eco-art history in East Asia, East Asian religious art and visual culture, and Chinese painting and calligraphy. His research and curatorial projects explore the intersection of humans, natural organisms, and the environment. His exhibitions, such as “A Mushroom Perspective on Sacred Geography” and “Earthly Hollows: Caves and Kiln Transformations,” investigate the representations of landscape topographies, natural organisms, and spirituality in East Asian art and culture. He is working on a monograph titled “Activating the Sacred Landscape: The Visual Culture of the Wuyi Mountains.”

Building upon his academic emphasis on reimagining a web of interconnections, Chen is committed to helping students reimagine links among human societies, planetary lives, time periods, and geographic areas. He uses hands-on activities to alleviate the challenges posed by unfamiliar terminologies and concepts in Asian art, thus encouraging students to experience the arts directly. He has organized various activities for OU students, including a Japanese tea ceremony, bonsai (potted and miniaturized plant) workshops, and visits to the Cranbrook Japanese Garden. He offers a general education introductory survey on visual culture in Asia and advanced courses, including eco-art history in East Asia and art of the Silk Roads.

Education
Stanford University, Stanford, CA 2019
Ph.D. Art History

National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan 2009
M.A. Chinese Art History

National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan 2005
B.A. Foreign Languages and Literature