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

upon anything for fun and experience.


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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 
Staple-bound
16 pages
11 x 8.5 in
 
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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.

Risograph printed, staple bound
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in

︎ Included in the Best Art Books of 2023 by The Brooklyn Rail.
 
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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, staple bound
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in

︎ ︎ Out of stock


You Can

Some observations.

Risograph printed, staple bound
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in

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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, staple bound
16 pages
11 x 8.5 in

 
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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.

Listen to the jingles here.

Risograph printed, staple bound
16 pages
11 x 8.5 in

 
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Another Swatch

Juuust another Riso swatch.

Risograph printed, staple bound
16 pages
8.5 x 5.5 in

 
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Famous Painting

Retake on world-famous paintings.

See demo here.

Risograph printed, staple bound
16 pages
11 x 8.5 in
 
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2 by 3

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

Risograph printed, staple bound
16 pages
8.5x 5.5 in

 
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Sexting E.3

Which emojis can be sent sexting?

3rd edition.

Risograph printed, staple bound
24 pages
6.5 x 5.5 in


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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, staple bound
16 pages
8.5x 5.5 in

 
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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, staple bound
16 pages
27.5 x 21 cm
 
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Remix

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

Risograph printed, staple bound
16 pages
21 x 13.5 cm
 
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Cmd+Y Dummy

Dummy for Cmd+Y.

Risograph printed, staple bound
16 pages
20 x 13.5 cm
 
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Smiley Dummy

Dummy for Smiley.

Risograph printed, staple bound
16 pages
13.5 x 10.5 cm
 
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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, staple bound
16 pages
27.5 x 21 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, staple bound
16 pages
21 x 13.5 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, staple bound
16 pages
21 x 13.5 cm
 
︎ ︎ Purchase

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, staple bound
16 pages
21 x 13.5 cm

Collected by Metropolitan Museum Library, Tufts University Library.
 
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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, staple bound
16 pages
21 x 13.5 cm

Comissioned by Whitney Museum Shop. Collected 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, staple bound
16 pages
17 x 13.5 cm

Collected 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, staple bound
16 pages
21 x 13.5 cm
 
︎ ︎ Out of stock

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, staple bound
16 pages
21 x 13.5 cm

Collected by Tufts University Library.
 
︎ ︎ Out of stock


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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, staple bound
16 pages
21 x 13.5 cm

Collected by Metropolitan Museum Library, Tufts University Library, etc.
 
︎ ︎ Out of stock


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Space

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

Risograph printed, folded
8 pages
13 x 9 cm

Collected by Jameel Arts Centre Dubai, Yale University Library, etc.
 
︎ ︎ Out of stock

Fall

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

Risograph printed, folded
8 pages
13 x 9 cm

Collected by Metropolitan Museum Library, Ohio University Library.
 
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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, folded
8 pages
13 x 9 cm

Collected by Metropolitan Museum Library, Yale University Library, etc.
 
︎ ︎ Purchase

Squared Square

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

Risograph printed, folded
8 pages
13 x 9 cm

Collected by Metropolitan Museum Library, Yale University Library, etc.
 
︎ ︎ Out of stock