Hai-Wen Lin is a Taiwanese American artist whose work explores constructions of the body and its surrounding environment. They are an alumnus of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, previously a LeRoy Neiman Fellow at the Ox-Bow School of Art, and earned a master of design in fashion, body and garment from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Previously, they have published academic research on smart textiles and taught origami workshops at institutions such as UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and MIT.
Their book designs have been recognized by AIGA, Design Observer, and the New England Book Builders. Lin has performed publicly at the Chicago Cultural Center and has exhibited work in a variety of places including the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, the Pittsburgh Glass Center, the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art in Korea, and most recently, a solo exhibition at Prairie, in Chicago.
While at MacDowell, they are working on “Cloud Collars,” a new series of wearable kite sculptures made primarily of bamboo and silk that draws inspiration from the yunjian, a traditional Chinese garment.
Portrait by Harlan Bozeman