Laura Chen (b. 1997) is a Dutch photographer, writer and collage artist based in London.
Using photography as a catalyst for her imagination, Chen's eclectic visual discourse is highly intuitive, experimental and playful. Within her work, research, implementation and intervention are closely intertwined; she often employs mixed-media elements, including text, video, sound, collage and analogue photomontage techniques.
Drawn to the obscurities and idiosyncrasies of the mundane, her multidisciplinary practice is an investigation into forms of otherness. Be it objects, places or people situated on the fringes of society — her images are tranquil observations of the visible traces and rituals of daily life that may otherwise go unnoticed. Alongside notions of impermanence and themes of the ignored, overlooked and forgotten, recurring interests include fiction, illusion, mise-en-scène, memory, nostalgia, linguistics, identity, psychology, genealogy, mythology, synchronicity, and avant-garde art movements.
In 2022 she was nominated as FOAM Talent, LensCulture Summer Open Award Winner, Rabo Photographic Portrait Talent Winner, Palm* Photo Prize Finalist and Prix Virginia Finalist. Her work has been featured in and published by FOAM, Photo London, PhMuseum, British Journal of Photography, Source, PHROOM, Fisheye, LensCulture, Canon, Dutch National Portrait Gallery, Refinery29, Life Framer, amongst others.
She has exhibited at Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation (DE), Foam Amsterdam (NL), Pingyao International Photography Festival (CHN), 10 14 Gallery London (UK), Open Eye Gallery Liverpool (UK), Midlands Art Centre (UK), Ikon Gallery (UK), Westergas Amsterdam (NL), Depot in Boijmans Van Beuningen Rotterdam (NL), Keilepand Rotterdam (NL) and Garagem 180 Porto (PT).
She has editorially contributed to several printed and online publications on contemporary photography, including GUP Magazine, British Journal of Photography, Photomonitor, Discarded Magazine and Mirrored Society.
In 2020 she graduated from Birmingham City University with a BA Photography. In 2022 she finished her MA Photography Arts at the University of Westminster London.
AWARDS
(2023) Harry Penningsprijs Nominee.
(2022) Foam Talent.
(2022) LensCulture Summer Open Awards Winner.
(2022) Rabo Photographic Portrait Talent Winner by Dutch National Portrait Gallery.
(2022) Prix Virginia Jury's Choice.
(2022) Palm* Photo Prize Finalist.
(2022) Royal Photographic Society IPE 164 Shortlist.
(2022) EIZO Student Award Finalist.
(2021) PhMuseum Women Photographers Grant Shortlist.
(2021) British Journal of Photography Edition 365 Award Winner.
(2021) The Top 200 PhMuseum's Stories.
(2021) Budapest International Foto Awards Honorable Mention.
(2021) GUP FRESH EYES Talent.
(2021) PhEST Reunion Calling Winner (PhMuseum).
(2021) BCN Bursary Winner by Multistory.
(2021) Galleries Without Walls (Gallery of Photography Ireland) Shortlist.
(2021/2022) Royal Photographic Society Postgraduate Bursary Shortlist.
(2020) GUP New Talent.
(2020) Life Framer Editor's Pick Humans of the World.
(2020) GRAIN BCU Graduate Award Winner.
(2020) Canon Student Development Programme organised by Visa Pour l’Image-Perpignan Festival.
(2020) EIZO Student Award Shortlist.
EXHIBITIONS
2023 - Foam Talent at Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, The Cube, Eschborn, DE.
2023 - Photo London LensCulture Summer Open, UK.
2022/23 - Foam Talent group exhibition, Foam Amsterdam, NL.
2022/23 - Rabo@Depot in Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, NL.
2022 - Degree Show University of Westminster - Ambika P3, London, UK.
2022 - Pingyao International Photography Festival, China.
2022 - Palm* Photo Prize group exhibition, 10 14 Gallery, London, UK.
2022 - The Unexposed by Canal180 - Garagem 180, Porto, Portugal.
2022 - then there was us. Ways of Living, Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, UK.
2021 - British Journal of Photography Edition 365 - Virtual Exhibition on New Art City.
2021 - SHOUT Festival, Birmingham, UK.
2021 - FRESH EYES group exhibition and book launch, Keilepand Rotterdam, NL.
2021 - Shutter Hub YEARBOOK.
2021 - Ikon for Artists, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK.
2021 - Mass Energy Group Photo Exhibition + Zine Project, Bibliotheca, London, UK.
2020 - Shutter Hub EVERYDAY DELIGHT (Windows Edition) poster exhibition across the UK.
2020 - The Nationwide Degree Show by Fresh Meet.
2020 - Birmingham City University Online Graduate Show.
2020 - GUP New Dutch Photography Talent group exhibition and book launch, Westergas, Amsterdam, NL.
2019 - Sky High Skies, Transpace Gallery, USA.
2019 - Sandwell Pride of Place Project as part of Blast! Photo Festival, Multistory, UK.
2019 - Chinese New Year Festival, Birmingham Hippodrome, UK.
2019 - The Green Lens group exhibition, EcoBirmingham & Ampersand Projects, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), UK.
2018 - Project Birmingham group exhibition, Medicine Bakery, Birmingham, UK.
PRESS & PUBLICATIONS
(2023) Harry Penningsprijs 2023.
(2023) British Journal of Photography - 'Being Framed' featured in the Education collection.
(2022) Foam Magazine #61 Talent Issue.
(2022) LensCulture Summer Open Awards Winner.
(2022) Source Graduate Photography Showcase.
(2022) PHROOM.
(2022) Grandmama's Print.
(2022) The Unexposed documentary series by Canal180.
(2021) FRESH EYES book Powered by GUP Magazine.
(2021) Mass Energy Zine.
(2021) Homing Zine - No Go Press.
(2021) Membrana Magazine Vol. 5, no. 1.
(2021) Print Magazine Issue 05.
(2021) Life Framer My Favorite Shot.
(2021) Musée Magazine.
(2021) The Pupil Sphere.
(2020) Photo London Issue 15.
(2020) GUP New book.
(2020) Canon 'Encourage' book.
(2020) Photograd Zine.
(2020) Aesthetica Magazine.
(2020) Propellor Magazine Hélice Issue #3 "Propaganda".
(2020) Life Framer Editor's Pick 'Humans of the World'.
(2020) Photograd Feature & Interview.
(2020) The Pupil Sphere.
(2020) Offspring Photo Meet & Northern Narratives POSTCARDS FROM COVID.
(2020) Photography of China.
(2020) MINA Gallery & Cafe.
(2020) GUP New.
(2020) Float Photo Magazine.
(2020) Intern Magazine.
EDUCATION
MA Photography Arts - University of Westminster London (Postgraduate Scholarship).
BA Photography (First-Class Honours) - Birmingham City University.
Global Photographies Network 2021 - Photobook Production & Publishing Programme - Ana Casas Broda / Hydra + Fotografia, Mexico City.
ARTIST TALKS
- Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation (DE).
- FOAM Amsterdam (NL).
- Coventry University (UK).
- Birmingham City University (UK).
- Halesowen College (UK).
- GRAIN Photo Café (UK).
Press
FOAM Talent 2022
Foam Magazine #61 Talent - 'Words From Dad'
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙐𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙄𝙄 featuring Laura Chen / Canal180.
The Unexposed brings together the work of different photographers, national and international, showing how a new generation of artists is making use of photography to communicate their reality. It all started with a question: can young people have control over their own narrative? Four international photographers answered the challenge in a series premiering in 2019, in partnership with Negative Feedback. "The constructed image" was the motto for the second season, featuring young artists whose work is not only limited to the photographic representation of a reality imposed on them, working imagistically from universes created, altered or subverted by themselves.
The Unexposed by Canal180 - Garagem 180, Porto, Portugal | 25 March - 25 April, 2022.
Palm* Photo Prize 2022 - 10 14 Gallery, London | 5 May - 5 June, 2022.
FRESH EYES 2021 - Powered by GUP Magazine, distributed by Artibooks.
From 'Killer Queens', the Polaroid series.
Ikon for Artists at Ikon Gallery, Birmingham | 17 - 31 May 2021.
GUP New Dutch Photography Talent 2020 at Machinegebouw Westergas, Amsterdam | 6 - 8 December 2019.
Encourage book published by Canon and Postcart Edizioni as part of Visa Pour l'Image-Perpignan Festival 2020.
The Green Lens exhibition at the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) Birmingham, UK | 1 September - 28 October 2018.
