Meet yennie.

Yennie is my childhood nickname, derived from my Chinese name, Li-Yen. When my family moved to North Carolina, I started going by “Kristi” (short for Kristiana) so that my name would be “easier” for others to pronounce. I realize now that this seemingly small act of assimilation had big implications, and I’ve spent the years since finding my way back to myself.

When I started working in clay a year and a half ago, I was reacquainted with Yennie’s childhood delight, sense of play, curiosity, and reawakened imagination—all elements that I had lost touch with (see: adulthood, surviving a pandemic, burn out, working in the arts institutionally). This work is dedicated to her, my imaginative, playful, curious childhood self, who never had to be taught how to dream of new worlds. May her innate wisdom be transmuted to you through these vessels, which I now offer to you.

Please email me for inquiries, and visit my website www.kristiana-chan.com to explore the rest of my artistic practice. Follow along @yennie.made and @kristi_chan.