Working primarily in sculpture and tattoo, Lyric Shen’s practice involves a piercing awareness that covers skin and objects alike. Hand-built ceramics, metal and found objects hold images of past times, sharp yet unrefined. Through Shen’s chosen technique of water transfers shapes shift through offset boundaries and images distort like memory itself. Shen’s use of mediums combines ancient crafts like tattoo, handmade ceramic and metal work with highly industrialized techniques like plasma cutting, inkjet printing and everyday technologies like iPhone photos and videos. Crossing languages, regions and cultures in their various modes of making, Shen’s delicate sculptures show us the gentle beauty of transgression that takes shape only when in flux.

Lyric Shen (b. Goleta, California, 1993) lives and works in New York. They received an MFA from Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Recent solo and two-person exhibitions include ‘Promise’s Room’ at Silke Lindner (2023), ‘The Petal’ with Misa Cchan at Et al, San Francisco (2023) and ‘Biscuit’ at Canada, New York (2022). They have been included in several group exhibitions, most recently in ‘Reciprocity’ at Marinaro (New York), JUNK IS NO GOOD BABY, Silke Lindner (New York) ‘Jupiter Finger’ at Harkawik (Los Angeles, CA), ‘Terra Firma’ at Murmurs (Los Angeles, CA). Their work is in the permanent collections of the University of California and Santa Barbara Arts & Music Library. Their writing and work have been published in DIY editions such as ‘All Sex Workers Go to Heaven’ and ‘Elastic Anthology Vol. 1’ with Other Weapons Distribution.