An artist who refers directly to the I Ching, Wen Yi Hou presses a market of organic matter into her sheets of handmade paper. The behavior of these vegetable and animal objects react organically with the linen rag paper pulp and, through the mechanical process of papermaking, interject the material with a life of its own. Collaborating in the studio with Paul Wong, Wen Yi was able to manipulate the paper medium and utilize all of its strengths. She created disparate works, ranging in style, aesthetic, and intention. Poetry undoubtedly affects Wen Yi’s work and it manifests itself in both through both a written and visual language.

Born in Shanghai, China, Wen Yi Hou received a BA from Zhejiang Art Institute and a MFA from the Visual Arts Department of the University of California at San Diego.

Workspace Program artist-in-residence 1991