Jinghong Chen is a Chinese-born visual artist currently based in Rhode Island.
Her work explores themes of memory, place, and belonging through the medium of cut paper. She reflects on the layered experiences of migration, drawing on the landscapes and traditions of both her hometown and her adopted home. Influenced by Chinese folk traditions, nature, and personal history, Chen’s intricate hand-cut designs incorporate motifs from religious and cultural imagery. These elements are woven with natural forms, as well as narratives from local history. Her work often examines the tension between connection and distance—both spiritual and physical—that arises from displacement and assimilation.
Through cutting and layering paper, Chen creates pieces that bridge past and present, offering a meditative exploration of identity and shared experiences of migration. Her work invites viewers to reflect on how we rebuild our relationships with land, family, and home.
Education
2023, BFA, Rhode Island School of Design
Residencies & Recognitions
2024, Finalist, MTA Art & Design SIR Huguenot Station, New York, NY
2024, Longlisted, 9th Chinese Illustration Biennial
2023, iJungle Illustration Award
2023, Artist-in-Residence, Peter Bullough Foundation, Winchester, VA
2023, Artist-in-Residence Semi-Finalist, Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, NY
2023, Honerable Mention, 9th Baker + Whitehill Student Artists’ Book Contest, Providence, RI
2022, Grand Purchase Award, 8th Baker + Whitehill Student Artists’ Book Contest, Providence, RI
2021, Contemporary Art Department Fellow, RISD Museum Fellowship, Providence, RI
Selected Exhibitions
2025, Eternal Living Room, Land To Sea, Brooklyn, NY
2025, New Lands, Shared Roots, telos.haus, Brooklyn, NY
2024, Future Craft, Gallery 263, Cambridge, MA
2024, 7th Louisiana Biennial, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
2023, Illustration Triennial, Woods-Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI
2023, LOVE TO READ: Children’s Book Illustrators Inspire Literacy, University of Rhode Island, Providence, RI,
2023, Artist’s Book Week, BravinLee Programs, New York, NY
2023, Come In, We Are Open, Public Gallery, Providence, RI
2023, Pencil Is Overrated, Paper Gallery, Providence, RI
2023, Over The River, ISB Gallery, Providence, RI
2023, Senior Show, Woods-Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI
2023, Exhibit: Splash! Annual Art Auction, Donkey Mill Art Center, Kona, HI
2023, Art Haus, Carr Haus, Providence, RI
Teaching Experiences
2025, Tunnel Book Workshop, Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program, Williamsburg, MA (forthcoming)
2025, Visual Art Instructor, Sitka Fine Arts Camp, Sitka, AK (forthcoming)
2025, Lunar New Year ChuangHua Workshop, South Providence Library, Providence, RI
2023-2024, Studio Instructor, Oogie Art, Newton Centre, MA
2023, Tunnel Book Workshop, Peter Bullough Foundation, Winchester, VA
2022-2023, Fabrication Lab Peer Tutor, Co-Works at RISD, Providence, RI
2020-2023, Teaching Assistant, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Collections
My Grandmother, Special Collections, Rhode Island School of Design, RI
Press