Meet the 2020-21 Dean's Student Council: Joy Chen
This series of web posts profiles the 2020-2021 UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture’s Dean’s Student Council.
Joy Chen is a second-year undergraduate student in Design Media Arts from Irvine, California. Through her major, she has explored a variety of mediums, expanding her practice from photography and graphic design to include more interactive elements with coding, physical design work, 3D modeling, and video. Joy is the undergraduate representative for Design Media Arts on the UCLA Arts Dean’s Student Council.
Joy Chen knew she wanted to pursue design since she was a senior in high school. When she first began studying at UCLA, she primarily worked with photography and graphic design, but her practice has since extended to include interactive elements with coding, physical design work, 3D modeling, and video.
“I believe my work is heavily influenced by social and political issues. I always aim for my work to aid in adding something new to the current conversations at play,” says Chen. Her work centers on the Asian American experience, navigating life with PTSD, and creating work for survivors of sexual assault/harrassment. Using a visual medium, she says, helps people empathize with the issues she addresses.
One such piece was Chen’s multimedia project centered around the Hong Kong protest movement. Chen created laser-cut wood panels using letters collected from protestors. The exhibit also incorporated video of the protests projected onto the wood panels as well as audio elements.
It was devastating seeing a place I considered a second home being destroyed.
Joy Chen
The piece was particularly close to home for Chen, who is Hong Kong and Taiwanese-American and has visited Hong Kong numerous times. “It was devastating seeing a place I considered a second home being destroyed,” she says. Chen hopes that the piece helped viewers to step into the shoes of protestors and understand their struggles and reasons for fighting.
“My art is about me, which is why it is for myself, but I create to share these stories that may be similar for other people. I believe that there is power in vulnerability and allowing people to recognize the nuances of these issues,” she says.
Activism and impact is also an important reason why Chen chose to serve on the Dean’s Student Council, where she is the undergraduate representative for Design Media Arts. “I believe there is an importance for our voices to be heard, loudly and effectively,” she says.
During her first year on the Dean’s Student Council, Chen led and organized a survey on Zoom fatigue in an effort to measure the physical and mental impacts of remote education on students. The survey was presented to the Academic Senate and led to school-wide conversations and changes to put students’ health first. Currently, Chen hopes to utilize surveys and solutions-based approaches to alleviate enrollment concerns and stresses within the Department of Design Media Arts.
With the Council, we are able to introduce [administrators] to how students are feeling and what we personally need from them.
Joy Chen
“I believe that the Council does important work that influences how the administration thinks,” says Chen. “As is, the administration thinks from their own personal perspectives, but with the Council, we are able to introduce to them how students are feeling and what we personally need from them.”
Chen plans to continue serving on the Dean’s Student Council next year. “I think all change is necessary and important,” she says. “I am excited by the work being done in the Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (AEDI) Commission that aims to decolonize and effectively represent the diversity of our students.”
This summer, Chen will be working for beauty and skincare company Estée Lauder as a Creative Intern. After completing her degree, she hopes to become a creative director in the fashion and beauty space and to continue her advocacy in the education sector to enact effective change.
Story by Ruby Dennis.
Header image: Courtesy of Joy Chen.
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