YIU KWAN KIT ELLEN (Hong Kong)

My practise is rooted in my love for making and sense of curiosity and wonder. Materials and craftsmanship are the cornerstones of my work, I find inspiration in the stories and experiences that have shaped my life—a kind of cultural foraging. Drawing from my childhood spent in Hong Kong and followed by experiences living abroad since the age of 12.

These cross-cultural influences are translated into a rich, introspective visual diary. It delves into the fragility, complexity and strangeness of life. Though I explore heavy themes like identity, health and family, I balance them with humour, making my work both poignant and approachable.

At the core of my practise is a fascination with the tactile and the tangible. I work across mediums such as woodwork, textiles and installation, both in large scale and miniature formats that invite viewers into a world where the personal becomes universal. I reinterpret familiar objects and memories through a modern lens, such as combining colloquial Cantonese phrases with hand-carved sculptures that resemble relics.

The use of overlooked materials—like hair, plant matter, medicine and discarded objects—reflect a commitment to sustainability and an interest in the stories they carry. My work speaks to the dual nature of materials both as objects of beauty and sources of discomfort, depending on its context.

I am fascinated by the mysteries embedded in everyday objects, and how when connected together, challenge conventional perceptions of value, beauty and functionality. My work seeks to slow down and recontextualise materials in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape, where traditional craft techniques risk being lost amidst digital and mass-production trends.

Sometimes my work is Fluxus-inspired; my practise explores art intended for the audience of one. These include miniature books and sculptures kept behind cases and shelves that invite initimate engagement. There is a certain fluidity and freedom in my work, nurtured by my childhood exposure to free-flowing Saori weaving.

I see my work as essentially uncategorisable, exploring various themes in different formats and mediums. It is the vulnerability and attention to small details that resonate with my audience. The universality of these themes —belonging, memory, and the relationship with our environments— embodies an urgency to pause, reflect and engage with the evolving dialogue between tradition and modernity, and the role of materials in shaping identity and collective memory.

Beyond her artistic pursuits, she is certified in the GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® method, The GYROTONIC® method is a comprehensive training system founded on the principles of yoga, dance, swimming and martial arts.

She is constantly learning (currently frivolité and lacemaking) and her passions extend to the world of holistic healing, well-designed multifunctional objects, an appreciation for footwear, and the quest for all the good paper.

EDUCATION & RESIDENCIES

2017-2021 Bachelor in Fine Arts, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, Netherlands

2021 Destillaat #23, Extrapool, Nijmegen

2018-2019 Arts, Media & Society double degree certificate, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands

2016-2017 Art Foundation, Paris College of Art, Paris, France

CONTACT (email me here)

GYROTONIC® is a registered trademark of Gyrotonic Sales Corp and is used with their permission

EXHIBITIONS & FAIRS

2025 ∙(upcoming) (working title) Pictura, Dordrecht, Netherlands

2025 ∙(upcoming) Reintegrating Wisdom, Centre for Heritage Arts & Textile (CHAT), Hong Kong

2024 ∙The New Mother Sculptures, Museum Cobra, Amstelveen, Netherlands

2024 ∙SWAB Art Fair with Tiny Art Gallery, Barcelona, Spain

2024 ∙The Future is Equal, Young Collector’s Circle, Capital C, Amsterdam

2024 ∙This World and the Next, Willem Twee Kunstruimte, Den Bosch, NL

2024 ∙ Prospects, Art Rotterdam, Van Nelle Fabriek, Rotterdam, NL

2023 ∙ New Perspectives, Unfair23, Amsterdam, NL

, The Tiny Art Gallery in Ruis, Nijmegen, NL

2023 ∙constructs of dwelling, R.S.O.L, Deventer, NL

2022 ∙This Art Fair, De Kromhouthal, Amsterdam, NL

2022 ∙The rest of it is stillness, Positions, Stroom, The Hague, NL

2022 ∙Take my home away, Pulchri Studios, The Hague, NL

2022 ∙OBJECT Rotterdam, HAKA-gebouw, NL

2022 ∙Limburg Biennale #2, Marres, Maastricht, NL

2021 ∙Finding Home, Late at Tate Britain: Life Between Islands, Tate Britain, UK

2021 ∙Drawing Appreciation Day, Hoogtij #66, …ism project space, The Hague, NL

2021 ∙Royal Academy of Art The Hague Graduation Show, NL

2021 ∙Art Show in a Caravan, Atelier Marin de Jong, Rotterdam, NL

2021 ∙AIR, Hoogtij #64 Projektruimte WEST END, The Hague, NL, curated by Annemieke Louwerens, group

2021 ∙The Tiny Art Gallery, 2nd Edition, The Hague, NL

2020 ∙A Finger in Every Pie, Jupiterkade 2, The Hague, NL

2019 ∙Deep Fried, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, NL

2018 ∙Blood, Guts & Torture, Grafische Werkplaats, The Hague, NL

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

2023 ∙Echoes of Touch: A Tactile Exploration (2019), Gouda, Netherlands

2021 ∙Heaven closes at 5, textile, private collection, Melbourne, AUS

2021 ∙Writing with light, sculpture, private, Rotterdam, NL

2021 ∙Fermented peach and carrot, publication, private, Hong Kong

PUBLICATIONS

2023 ∙Love after Love

2021 ∙Page Not Found, consigned

2020 ∙Jewel Paper Club #1, #2, #3, run by Sophia Wester

2020 ∙Drawing to Feel Good! Publication (Digital Version)

SELECTED COMMISSIONS

2024 ∙Kitchen Sink, private client

2021 ∙Musée Légitime hat building with pockets, Martin la Roche, supported by Mondriaan Fonds

2021 ∙Oscar the deer dress, private client, Wassenaar, cultural foundation from the Deer House and Bakershagen Estate

2020 ∙Cantique des Cantiques book-binding restoration, Henri Matisse, 1st edition, private client

2020 ∙‘Shut up’ copper and resin jewellery set, private client

2020 ∙Freud’s Bridge, ink drawings of local flowers, handcarved frames, private client

GRANTS & AWARDS

2024 ∙Piket Painting Award, Nominated

2022 ∙Mondriaan Fonds, Artist Start Investment

2021 ∙Winner of Stroom Encouragement Award

2021 ∙Nominated BA Fine Arts Department Award

2018 ∙Winner of Eurostar Competition, hosted by Central Saint Martins and Paris College of Art

YIU ELLEN

Destillaat #23

Drawings

Writings Coming soon my dear

Writings

Coming soon my dear