S chen
photographer
BIOGRAPHY
S. Chen is a Minneapolis-based visual storyteller whose creative work spans photography, graphic and web design, and writing. With a background in Visual Communication and ongoing studies in photography and graphic design at Minneapolis College, she brings both formal training and lived experience into her multidisciplinary practice.
As a fat, cis-femme, first-generation Chinese American—by way of Taiwan—S. Chen draws from a richly layered cultural identity shaped by her upbringing as the daughter of immigrants and the rhythms of life in her family’s restaurant. Her artistic lens is deeply informed by themes of memory, identity, and belonging.
Whether through a photograph, a thoughtfully crafted web layout, or a piece of personal writing, she is drawn to stories that highlight the overlooked, the intimate, and the quietly powerful. Her work often reflects her own journey navigating diaspora, community, and self-expression.
Outside of her creative work, she is an unapologetic lover of dogs, xiao long bao, and the crispness of early fall weather. Her favorite pastimes include binge-watching guilty pleasure television, crying over emotionally devastating fictional characters, and looping the same song until it becomes a personal anthem.