Dream 2005.2.15, Mountains, Flowers, Crowded People and Cars, 2009

Chen Haiyan brings her dreams to life in bold, expressionistic woodblock prints and paintings, rich with ink. Her signature process began with small etchings on wood, based on entries from her dream diaries, which she has been writing in since 1981, but have since grown to large-scale woodcuts carved into hard pearwood panels. The events of her dreams often mimic her daily life, and are filled with whimsy, anxiety, and, at times, anger.

© Chen Haiyan, photo courtesy of the artist