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UPON is a New York-based art and publishing studio founded by Ivy Zheyu Chen.

Catching random thoughts.

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Feminism Is

I don’t understand Feminism as a vocabulary, nor do I feel it. Until one day, I was angry at something and realized I was suppressing the anger even before it could surface.

It’s a situation so familiar growing up as a woman. Oh, you better be poised, smiling, elegant! Being hysterical is dangerous - look! She’s going crazy! What’s expected of us is a goddess-like, calm, warm figure.

But why can't I be angry? Why can't I show my distorted ugly face in anger? I mean, it’s anger! It’s a natural emotion!

This led me to really feel the word Feminism and then interpret other big “-ism” words - in a way that I could immerse in and relate to.

Risograph-printed zine
S/S 2024
16 pages
11 x 8.5 in | 28 x 22 cm
 
$30 ︎ Add to Cart

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More Alive

I was annoyed at myself for being a sensitive person; it’s so exhausting. Until one day, it occurred to me that through sensitivity, I get a richer experience of the world, i.e., I feel more alive.

As much as it sucks, it’s still a thousand times better than just being numb.

2nd edition.

Risograph-printed zine
S/S 2023
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm

︎ Picked as the Best Art Books of 2023 by The Brooklyn Rail.
 
$20 ︎ Add to Cart
Ugly is Beauty

The concept of Ugly and Beauty fascinates me. How do we judge? By learning? By feeling? Or are we simply fed invisible criteria?

It’s entirely up in our heads; turning the table is a difficult mind game, but a game worth playing.

Risograph-printed zine
S/S 2023
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm

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You Can

Some observations.

Risograph-printed zine
S/S 2023
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm

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Greatest Love of All

If someone throws me this question “what’s the greatest love of all?” I would’ve never thought of “self-love”. But why not? Isn’t it a duty to love ourselves first, then the others? Just like in case of flight emergency, put the oxygen mask on yourself first, then onto the child – no matter how much you love them.

This Whitney Houston song touches so many qualities of life: courage, determination, self-love, and strength – truly a song with power to lift you up when you’re doomed down. In my opinion, it’s a gem of this world that’ll last forever.

Risograph-printed zine
2022
16 pages
11 x 8.5 in | 28 x 22 cm

 
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Ad Jingle

First time I heard the jingle for “O’Reiley Auto Parts” - melodic, jazzy with a little extra oomph - I was hooked. The same thing happened with “Liberty~Liberty~Liberty Liberty~”, the military marching tunes seem unnecessary, yet so catchy.

These took me on a journey of recapping all the ad jingles I’ve heard throughout the years of road trip motel TVs & Youtube/ Spotify ads. Once it gets ya, the next thing you know is singing along whenever it comes up. There’s just no way around it.

Risograph-printed zine
2022
16 pages
11 x 8.5 in | 28 x 22 cm

 
$30 ︎ Add to Cart
Another Swatch

Juuust another Riso swatch.

Risograph-printed zine
2022
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm

 
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Famous Painting

Retake on the famous paintings.

See demo here.

2nd edition.

Risograph-printed zine
2021
16 pages
11 x 8.5 in | 28 x 22 cm
 
$30 ︎ Add to Cart
2 by 3

A series of paper collages on thoughts through Covid-19 quarantine. 

2nd edition.

Risograph-printed zine
2021
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm

 
︎ Acquired by Firestone Library Special Collections of Princeton University

$20 ︎ Add to Cart
Sexting E.3

Which emojis can be sent sexting?

3rd edition.

Risograph-printed zine
2021
24 pages
6.5 x 5.5 in | 17 x 14 cm


$15 ︎ Add to Cart
Constructible Polygon E.3

A constructible polygon is a regular polygon that can be constructed with only compass and straight-edge.

Presented here are the mathematical drafting process for 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10-gons.

3rd edition.

Risograph-printed zine
2021
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm

 
$20 ︎ Add to Cart

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Triple S

Triple S is a shoe I’m obsessed with. In my opinion, it's the best design in this "ugly dad shoes" trend. There are a ton of rip-offs. BUT, nobody come even close.

The proportion, the forms, I mean, how can someone come up with this crazy design, yet so perfect? I always preferred minimalist designs, and now I'm forever changed.

Risograph-printed zine
2019
16 pages
11 x 8.5 in | 28 x 22 cm

 
$25 ︎ Add to Cart
Remix

A remix record of test pages. Each one is unique.

Risograph-printed zine
2019
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm

 
$15 ︎ Add to Cart
Cmd+Y Dummy

Dummy for Cmd+Y.

Risograph-printed zine
2019
16 pages
7.9 x 5.5 in | 20 x 14 cm

 
$10 ︎ Add to Cart
Smiley Dummy

Dummy for Smiley.

Risograph-printed zine
2019
16 pages
5.3 x 4.1 in | 13.5 x 10.5 cm


$10 ︎ Add to Cart

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Cmd+Y

“Cmd+Y” is the keyboard shortcut for outline mode in Adobe Illustrator. An X-ray for vector graphics.

Risograph-printed zine
2018
16 pages
11 x 8.5 in | 28 x 22 cm


︎ Created during the art residency at Risolab, School of Visual Arts.
 
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Smiley

A bit creepy, isn’t it?

Risograph-printed zine
2018
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm


︎ Created during the art residency at Risolab, School of Visual Arts.
 
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White Blood Cells

One time I got a cold, feeling shitty, nose running for a few days. I googled “what's in the snot” out of curiosity, and found that there are dead white blood cells.

This zine is a thank you note to my WBCs. They work hard for me and I'm inspired.

Screen-printed zine
2018
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm

 
$20 ︎ Add to Cart
Oops

Printing perfectly in silkscreen is nearly impossible for me. So I decided to go wild once and recreated all kinds of fuck-ups.

Screen-printed zine
2018
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm


︎ Acquired by Metropolitan Museum Library, Tufts University Library.
 
$20 ︎ Add to Cart

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Cylinder 6

If you’ve ever been to the rooftop of Whitney Museum in New York, you probably noticed there're six colossal columns. I thought they are artist-made sculptures, well they are not. Nevertheless, they are beautiful.

Screen-printed zine
2017
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm


︎ Comissioned by Whitney Museum Shop. Acquired by Ohio University Library.
 
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Foreground

It's a random thought I had one day. Imagine a sphere nested right inside a cube, what happens when you remove four faces out of the six?

Screen-printed zine
2017
16 pages
6.7 x 5.3 in | 17 x 13.5 cm


︎ Acquired by Metropolitan Museum Library, Ohio University Library.
 
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Graphic of Cuteness

Why are Line Friends so cute? How did they design them? Here are my speculations.

Screen-printed zine
2017
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm

 
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Produce of Chinatown

I used to work in Chinatown and would walk on Mott Street every day. It’s a lively street packed with fruit and veggie vendors, as well as housewives cruising to compose the dinner menu of the day.

Best street to walk on if you ask me.

Screen-printed zine
2017
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm


︎ Acquired by Tufts University Library.
 
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Saguaro

A trip to Arizona got me obsessed with saguaro. It’s quirky, it’s round, it’s spikey and chubby. It’s fascinating and I don’t know why.

Risograph-printed zine
2016
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in | 22 x 14 cm


︎ Acquired by Metropolitan Museum Library, Tufts University Library, etc.
 
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Space

Space creatures are homes to astronauts. Steel, winged, they fly like nothing else.

Risograph-printed zine
2014
8 pages, folded
5.1 x 3.5 in | 13 x 9 cm


︎ Acquired by Jameel Arts Centre Dubai, Yale University Library, etc.
 
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Fall

A leaf seeks the root. A leaf sees the Fall.

Risograph-printed zine
2014
8 pages, folded
5.1 x 3.5 in | 13 x 9 cm


︎ Acquired by Metropolitan Museum Library, Ohio University Library.
 
$10 ︎ Add to Cart
Inscribed Angle

Inscribed angle is the half the central angle. Those on the same arc of a chord are equal.

This zine is the 3-part proof for this theorem.

Risograph-printed zine
2014
8 pages, folded
5.1 x 3.5 in | 13 x 9 cm


︎ Acquired by Metropolitan Museum Library, Yale University Library, etc.
 
$10 ︎ Add to Cart
Squared Square

Squaring a square to make a Squared Square takes a lot of squares.

Risograph-printed zine
2014
8 pages, folded
5.1 x 3.5 in | 13 x 9 cm


︎ Acquired by Metropolitan Museum Library, Yale University Library, etc.
 
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