BIO
Gwen Yip, born in 1979 in Hong Kong, and currently based in New Jersey, the United States of America, is a contemporary painter primarily working with acrylic on canvas. Yip is best known for her distinctive flattened forms that depict figures in urban landscapes.
Yip seeks universal beauty within the tapestry of everyday people in urban life. Notable among her projects is the Backs series, which is further distinguished by its segmentation based on iconic cities: New York City, Hong Kong, and London, where the artist has lived and worked. In these series, Yip adeptly strips away extraneous urban details while retaining just enough to convey a complete and evocative narrative for each piece.
Yip has exhibited in New York, London, Amsterdam and Hong Kong. Her work can be found in private collections in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Japan, and her native Hong Kong.
CV
Selected group exhibitions:
2024 Street Symphony, ART150 Gallery, Jersey City, NJ, USA (curated by Josephine Barreiro)
2022 The Maximum Minimum, The Gallery Space, Rahway, NJ, USA
2017 32nd Chelsea International Fine Art Competition Exhibition, Agora Gallery, NY, USA
2012 Oxfam One-seventh Exhibition, Edge Gallery, Hong Kong
2012 Postcardwall, Vegas Gallery, London, UK
2012 Postcardwall, Mall Galleries, London, UK
2011 Passion For Art, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
2011 Desire, The Portman Gallery, London, UK
2011 Devour, Battersea Evolution, London, UK
2011 The Future Generations, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong
2010 The New Tapestry, Steendrukkerij Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Awards:
2017 32nd Chelsea International Fine Art Competition, New York, USA
2010 John Moores Painting Prize (shortlisted), National Museums Liverpool, London, UK
2008 40 Under 40 Awards, (winner), Perspective, Hong Kong
2008 Young Design Talent Award (winner), Hong Kong Design Centre, Hong Kong
Selected publications and interviews:
2022 Tris McCall, “Artists Do More With Less At “The Maximum Minimum” Show At Gallery Space In Rahway” in NJArts (2022) at https://www.njarts.net/artists-do-more-with-less-at-the-maximum-minimum-show-at-gallery-space-in-rahway
2018 Editor, “Moderne Solitude” in Courrier International (2018)
2018 Editor, “A View From The Back: A Series Of Paintings By Gwen Yip” in Juxtapoz (2018) at https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/painting/a-view-from-the-back-a-series-of-paintings-by-gwen-yip/
2018 Alice Harrison, “Gwen Yip’s Paintings Reveal The Isolation Of City Life” in Ignan (2018) at https://www.ignant.com/2018/01/15/gwen-yips-paintings-reveal-the-isolation-of-city-life/
2018 New American Paintings, Northeast Issue #134
Professional contributions:
2011-2013 Visiting Assistant Professor, School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
2010 Speaker, MaD Conference, Hong Kong.
Education:
2009-2010: MA Fine Art, Central Saint Martins, London, United Kingdom