City as Canvas: Chen Yiting's Subtle Whisper of Nature and Ecological Reconstruction

In the early morning, in a studio on the edge of the city, soft light filters through the glass windows, casting a gentle glow on the walls. Chen Yiting sits calmly in front of the easel, surrounded by jars and bottles of paint—soft greens, delicate pinks, warm yellows...like a symphony of colors. It is often in such moments that she quietly reflects on the relationship between plants and culture, channeling her insights into nature through meticulous brushstrokes and warm hues. The bustling noise of the city occasionally seeps through the window cracks, a distant yet persistent background sound. She does not resist this rhythm, but rather views it as a symbol of the interplay between the urban and the natural worlds.

Artist: Chen Yiting

She views the "whisper of nature" as the soul of her creations, using abundant negative space and gentle lines to awaken the viewer’s latent memory of the ecosystem. For her, materials and colors are not merely visual symbols, but a "memory topology" resonating between humans and the environment: amidst the daily pressures of urban life, we may all need a touch of clean green to echo the tranquility within. She refers to this dialogue as "the whisper of matter"—allowing the canvas, ink, and pigments to carry unique emotions and reflections, like a serene conversation.

The initial inspiration came from an afternoon stroll in a garden. Under the sunlight, a girl sat peacefully on the grass, surrounded by blooming flowers and fluttering butterflies. This scene later became the inspiration for the "Afternoon in the Garden" series. Chen Yiting uses delicate watercolor strokes to capture this freshness and tranquility, extending her work into diverse mediums such as scarves, carpets, and wall art installations, bringing art from the canvas into everyday life. She says, "Cross-disciplinary collaborations have shown me another possibility for art—infusing natural emotions into people’s daily lives."

Afternoon in the Garden

To make the colors and textures more expressive, she introduced the concept of "pixel coral": breaking down colors and lines into forms resembling pixelated particles, which are stacked layer by layer to create a visual effect similar to coral clusters. It represents the accumulation of greenery in the urban gaps and symbolizes the process of the creator making abstract natural sensations tangible. This approach, which allows the viewer to almost "touch" the texture of flowers and plants, is described by her as a "tactile spectrum": using visual perception to evoke a physical sense of real nature, enabling the artwork to retain vibrant vitality while maintaining a gentle atmosphere.

In the Journey · Urban Oasis series, she began by selecting eco-friendly paper, and through multiple rounds of experimentation, continuously adjusting the color palette and composition to ultimately present an urban landscape where humans and nature coexist harmoniously. Every brushstroke of flowers and plants was carefully considered, striving to make the artwork "light" while retaining its inner resilience and tension. These works have also earned her the TOP 100 International Influential Innovative Designer Award at the 2025 Japan IDPA International Pioneer Design Competition and the Gold Award at the French Design Awards, further establishing her name in the fields of art and design.

She often summarizes her creative approach with a phrase: "Using [material] as a medium, through [technical means], transforming [natural elements] into [artistic concepts], and completing the philosophical sublimation from [original state] to [ultimate form] over [a span of time]." This not only reflects her understanding of art but also mirrors her exploration process across different series. For instance, in Summer, the interplay of water surfaces and the silhouettes of flying birds forms a fresh and dynamic image, immersing the viewer in the midst of summer, where the fusion and symbiosis of humans and nature can be felt.

Summer

The final presentation of her work to the public is the result of months, or even longer, of meticulous refinement. Throughout the creative process, she constantly experiments, rejects, and revises, aiming to present her work to the world in the most balanced and gentle manner. As her works gain increasing recognition, her influence has gradually grown, allowing more brands and audiences to appreciate her unique expression of urban ecology and the human warmth it embodies.

Journey · Urban Oasis

Her debut at the Maison&Objet exhibition in Paris garnered widespread attention for her "Urban Oasis" concept. With over 32,000 visitors and 127 days of continuous creation and refinement, she conveyed the fusion of nature and the city through artistic forms to a broader audience. At the same time, she partnered with five brands for co-branded collaborations, bringing patterns of greenery and flowers into everyday items like scarves, sofa throws, and carpets. For her, this is a process of expanding aesthetics beyond the gallery, taking art from the private realm into the public domain.

Despite the constant influx of cross-disciplinary collaborations, Chen Yiting remains steadfast in her commitment to the principle of "restrained aesthetics." She rejects overly extravagant or complicated decorations, preserving the tranquility and negative space in her works, allowing emotions and imagination to naturally emerge in the void. She also makes sure to invoke a sense of ecological and environmental concern in her art: "Art should be a bridge, not a gimmick." For her, sparking societal reflection and attention is the core value of her creative process.

As we turn our attention back to the artwork itself, the delicate tones and warm brushstrokes seem to tell another story about the relationship between the city and nature—people’s yearning for and attachment to greenery, which can break through the constraints of concrete and steel, infusing everyday life with poetry and reflection. In these final moments, let us explore this fusion from her three perspectives:

1.Microscopic Close-up

Running your fingers gently over the delicate floral patterns on the Afternoon in the Garden scarf, you can almost hear the breath of nature within the cracks of the city.

2.Macroscopic Sublimation

Amid the changing urban landscape, these works come together in a "whisper of matter," guiding people to reconsider ecological balance and the essence of life.

3.Call to Action

When you use her artistic derivatives in your daily life or casually visit one of her exhibitions, take a moment to pause and let this touch of greenery intertwine with your inner thoughts—this is the most sincere echo of contemporary urban life.

Thus, a narrative about urban ecology and humanistic care unfolds slowly through Chen Yiting's brushstrokes and our vision. Through nature's whisper, warm colors, and restrained aesthetics, she weaves the city and nature into soft yet profound images. Perhaps we can find inspiration from this: art is not merely decoration, but a lasting care and contemplation that forges a richer connection between the city and nature, offering the soul more peaceful echoes.