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Jingru Cyan Cheng & Chen Zhan

Wed, Jun 25    11:30am

Jingru (Cyan) Cheng works across architecture, anthropology, and filmmaking. Her practice follows drifting bodies—from rural migrant workers to forms of water—to confront intensified social injustice and ecological crisis. Cyan was awarded the Harvard GSD’s 2023 Wheelwright Prize for TRACING SAND and received two commendations from the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) President’s Awards for Research in 2020 and 2018. Cyan holds a PhD by Design from the Architectural Association and teaches at the Royal College of Art in London.

Chen Zhan is an architect, anthropologist, and independent filmmaker, trained at the Architectural Association and SOAS University of London. As a UK-registered architect, Chen had worked at Heatherwick Studio on high-profile projects, including the Changi Airport Terminal 5 in Singapore, Google Gradient Canopy in California, the Bund Finance Centre in Shanghai and Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre in Leeds, UK.

Cyan and Chen’s recent solo exhibitions include HOW MUCH WATTAGE IS ONE HANDBREADTH OF WATER at Storefront for Art and Architecture (New York, 2025) and RIPPLE RIPPLE RIPPLING at the Architectural Association (London, 2024). Their film work received the Architecture Short Film Award at the Milano Design Film Festival (2024) and the Best Short Film at the Venice Architecture Film Festival (2023), among others. Together they are Canadian Centre for Architecture’s 2024–2025 CCA-Mellon Multidisciplinary Researchers on field research as a land-dependent practice.