Allen Chen

There’s a world of ideas that feels, at times, impossibly large and too immense to grasp. It’s chaotic, scary, and hard to make sense of. But every now and then, I catch sight of a golden thread—something that connects a story through it all. Well... not all, but rather a region or a pocket of knowable reality that, for a moment, feels safe, harmonious, and hopeful. Living with these extreme swings between fear and clarity, confusion and insight—is exciting, terrifying, disappointing, and hilarious. I’ve always felt that intensity, ever since I was a kid. Looking back, the adults and positive influences I trusted most were the ones who guided me with curiosity and care. They helped me find meaningful connections by pointing to things that were funny, beautiful, or strangely shaped things that gave form to feelings I didn’t yet know how to express.

Drawing from the shapes of nature—seedpods, flowers, and the human body—I often combine these with the familiar forms rooted in the tradition of utilitarian vessels, as any potter can understand. I follow the golden thread of narrative in exploring how a vessel can hold, hide, or change what’s inside—and how that reflects the way we carry memory, identity, and emotion.

Clay, like people, reacts to pressure and responds to heat and extreme atmospheres in ways that reveal its character, sometimes subtle, sometimes dramatic. There’s an honesty that emerges through this process: one that’s steeped in tradition and discipline, yet always open to change. The agents of transformation can be chaotic, and the results are never mistaken for perfection (it fails… a lot). But with time and care, the golden thread always finds its way through in a form I can understand: a meaningful connection.

Born in Taiwan, Allen Chen moved to Los Olivos, California at age 12. He received a BFA from San Jose State University and an MFA from the University of Notre Dame. He has been a Resident Artist at Mendocino Art Center (2009), Red Lodge Clay Center (2010), and Lawrence Arts Center (2011). Allen was an Assistant Professor of Ceramics at Central State University from 2012-2014 and is currently an Associate Professor of Ceramics at The University of Southern Mississippi.