Lena Chen

B.A. in Sociology, Harvard University; M.F.A. in Art, Carnegie Mellon University

Lena Chen is a Chinese American writer and artist examining the intersections of intimacy, technology, labor, and race. Informed by her experiences in the sex industry, her doctoral research centers the stories of Asian American dominatrixes working against the backdrop of anti-AAPI violence. A recipient of Mozilla Foundation's 2022 Creative Media Award, she has performed and exhibited internationally. She is a co-founder of JADED, Pittsburgh's first AAPI art collective; co-founder of Heal Her, an expressive arts initiative for survivors of gender-based violence; and a founding member of MATERNAL FANTASIES, an interdisciplinary collective of artists/mothers.