Yung-Yen Tsui

Yung-Yen TSUI , born in 1972 in Taipei, holds an MFA from the Taipei National University of the Arts. A multidisciplinary artist working across painting, sculpture, and public art, she is known for her ability to reinterpret forms through diverse materials and textual references. Drawing from her keen observations of the human condition, social realities, and personal life experiences, Tsui transforms these insights into a distinctive sculptural aesthetic infused with humanistic concern.

As one of the few female artists in Taiwan who specialize in metal sculpture, Tsui began her ongoing series Tiptoe Circus in 2008. Through extensive historical research and a contemporary reimagining of classical culture, she draws inspiration from traditional Chinese artifacts and figural motifs to create fictional, highly stylized character ensembles. Her signature figures—compact and rounded with subtly expressive features—are often paired with familiar everyday objects and bold visual symbols, weaving a whimsical yet subtly poignant narrative that resonates with both humor and cultural reflection.

Over the years, Tsui has continued to employ humor as a way to navigate external shifts and internal responses. Her works are marked by deliberate contrasts and paradoxes: solid, block-like bodies perched on tiny feet; seemingly cute and playful forms that, upon closer inspection, reveal a sober undertone; a yearning for flight and transcendence juxtaposed with fragile carriers like plastic bags and toy propellers. Deeply aware of her role as a sentient being on this planet, Tsui often integrates themes of ecological consciousness and the tension between aspiration and limitation. In her practice, humor, irony, vulnerability, and self-reflection converge—repeatedly expressing the desire to transcend, while never losing sight of the impossibility of doing so. This poetic contradiction lies at the heart of Tsui Yung-Yen’s distinctive artistic language.