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 as a
GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® trainer
and 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®, GYROTONIC® & Logo, GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® and GYROKINESIS® are registered trademarks of GYROTONIC® Sales Corp and are used with their permission.
Solo/Duo Exhibitions2025 If the sky falls, use it as a blanket, ...ism, The Hague, Netherlands
2024 This World and the Next, Willem Twee Kunstruimte, Den Bosch, Netherlands
2022 Take my home away, Pulchri Studio, The Hague, Netherlands
2022 The rest of it is stillness, Stroom Den Haag, The Hague, Netherlands
2021 Art Show in a Caravan, Atelier Marin de Jong, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Selected Exhibitions and Fairs
2025 (On view) Lining Revealed– A Journey Through Folk Wisdom and Contemporary Vision, Centre for Heritage Arts & Textile (CHAT), Hong Kong
2025 (On view) RE:FWD - A Reply to the Present, A Forward to Us All, Bijbels Museum, Kunstlinie and NDSM Fuse, Amsterdam and Almere, Netherlands
2025 (On view) Willemijn Kijkt, Pictura, Dordrecht, Netherlands
2024 Couleur locale, Quartair, The Hague, Netherlands
2024 The New Mother Sculptures, Museum Cobra, Amstelveen, Netherlands
2024 SWAB Art Fair with Tiny Art Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2024 Spirits, House and Senses, ArtSpace Auto Vitesse with Elly Strik, Eindhoven, Netherlands
2024 The Future is Equal, Young Collector’s Circle, Capital C, Amsterdam
2024 Prospects Mondriaan Funds at Art Rotterdam, Van Nelle Fabriek, Rotterdam, Netherlands 2023 New Perspectives, Unfair23, De Kromhouthal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2023 How small can you go summer expo, Ruis, Nijmegen, Netherlands
2022 This Art Fair, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2022 Limburg Biënnale #2, Marres, Maastricht, Netherlands
2022 Object Rotterdam, HAKA building, Rotterdam, Netherlands
2022 Spring Salon, Pulchri Studio, The Hague, Netherlands
2022 Fingernail Loop Book, Moon Gallery, currently in orbit on the International Space Station
2021 Finding Home, Late at Tate Britain: Life Between Islands, Tate Britain, United Kingdom
2021 Drawing Appreciation Day, Hoogtij #66, ...ism project space, The Hague, Netherlands
2021 Royal Academy of Art The Hague Graduation Show, Netherlands
2021 AIR, Hoogtij #64 Projektruimte WEST END, The Hague, Netherlands
2021 The Tiny Art Gallery, 2nd Edition, The Hague, Netherlands
Awards and Grants
2024 Winner of Piket Painting Prize
2022 Mondriaan Funds, 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 2018 Paris College of Art Dean’s List
Other employment in the arts
2024 Stroom Library Session conversation with Ingrid Mol, Stroom Den Haag
2024 The Hague Textile workshop host, Textile Initiative, Amsterdam
2023- ongoing Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® trainer
2022-2023 Guest lecturer, Hong Kong Art School, Hong Kong
2019-2020 Internship with Lisa Cheung, Chinese Antique Restoration specialist
2016-2019 Internship with Wong Hon, specialised Hong Kong tailor
2015-2018 Weaving assistant for Edith Cheung at St. James Settlement, Hong Kong
Publications
2023 Love after Love, edited by Wumen, printed at Kunst Press
2023 Drawing is Free by Chloe Briggs
2022 A Regular in his city, edited by Fynn van der Ziel, printed at Kunst Press, edition of 22
2020 Jewel Paper Club #1, #2, #3, run by Sophia Wester
2020 Drawing to Feel Good! Publication (Digital Version)
Press and Interviews
Interview 。Den Haag Central (NL)
Interview 。Marbella Marbella (EN)
Interview 。Inzaken (NL)
Interview 。 Zixir, interview program with Hizir Cengiz, Het Nationale Theater, The Hague, Netherlands
Interview 。 tique.art (EN)
Article。 KABK.nl (NL)
Library session 。 Stroom with Ingrid Mol (NL)
Feature 。 Den Haag Central (NL)
Feature 。 beterbrabant.com (EN)
Feature 。 jegensentevens.nl (EN)
Article 。 villanextdoor.com (EN)
Review 。 KABK.nl (EN)
Interview 。 piketkunstprijsen.nl (NL)
Interview 。 unfair.nl (EN)
Article 。 thisartfair.com (EN)
Article 。 moongallery (EN)