BIOGRAPHY
EDUCATION
Exp. June 2026
✦ BA in Studio Arts Santa Clara University
✦ BA in Psychology Santa Clara University
Biology and Public Health Minors
BIOGRAPHY
Miri Chen Lin is a dynamic, multi-faceted artist from Santa Clara, California. As a tattoo artist, digital illustrator, concept artist, painter, printmaker, photographer, and creator, her practice embodies a fusion of dedication, curiosity, and an unyielding pursuit of artistic exploration. Throughout her life, Miri has cultivated a unique balance between science and the arts, allowing each discipline to inform and enrich the other.
Her creative journey began in 2018, when she taught online art classes for nonprofit organizations and designed apparel for a local dance studio—all while nurturing a growing interest in psychology and medical practices through specialized programs and early vocational training. A pivotal turning point came when she was accepted into CSSSA, where she deepened her craft through intensive study in printmaking and painting.
In 2021, she began integrating art and science at UC Irvine, working in a research lab as both an intern and an artist. There, she transformed scientific data into compelling visual material for journal covers and research presentations. The following year, she joined the founding team of an international NFT project, contributing to its creative direction and visual identity.
By 2024, Miri held her first solo exhibition at Santa Clara University through a competitive fellowship and simultaneously began tattooing in San Jose. She later moved into a private studio in Santa Clara in 2025. Since then, she has had the opportunity to tattoo in Richmond, Virginia and continues to seek new events and opportunities to expand her presence within the tattoo community.
Looking ahead, Miri plans to collaborate with indie game developers in 2025, with digital game assets slated for release in mid-2026. In the long term, she aims to broaden her practice by exploring the intersections of art and psychology—whether by creating work informed by psychological concepts or by integrating artistic methods into clinical settings, a field she believes holds immense and largely untapped potential.
✦ Upcoming 2026 ✦
*January "Project To The Depths" (Digital Game Assets)
*March "Cambio" (Digital Game)
*April "Sonder" (Exhibition)
*October Anime Ink Con 777, Richmond, VA (tattooing)
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✦ 2025✦
Tattoo Artist at Inklings Tattoo Studio
Anime Ink Con, Richmond, VA
Red Hill and Bones (Attire Concept art)
All Eyes, No Hands (Concept art)
Hipnotik Apparel design (Dance team)
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✦ 2024✦
2024 Tattoo Apprentice at Cat Scratch Studios
"The Familiar Yet Esoteric Mind" Solo exhibition
"Threads of Discovery" group exhibition
Bed of Regrets (Storyboard Concept art)
Hipnotik Apparel design (Dance team)
UC Irvine Won lab (research Intern, Artist)
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✦ 2023✦
UC Irvine Won lab (research Intern, Artist)
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✦ 2022✦
Starting B.A Psychology + B.A Studio Arts
Shikigai NFT project (illustrator and asset artist)
UC Irvine Won lab (research Intern, Artist)
"Saburo Chillin Shikigai" group exhibition
Connecting Futures Now (Art Educator)
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✦ 2021✦
Connecting Futures Now (Art Educator)
Stanford Effective Altrusim
MMSS Forensic Anthropology
SVCTE Medical Science/Health Careers
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✦ 2020✦
Connecting Futures Now (Art Educator)
6th District Award California State National PTA
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✦ 2019✦
33rd Season Art Scholar CSSSA
"Linoleum Reliefs" group exhibition
"Exhibiting 8" group exhibition
California State national PTA award (2nd place)
Montage Dance Studio Apparel
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✦ 2018✦
Freelance Artist
Artist Statement
I'm particularly concerned with conveying the importance of mental health in our society. Despite strides, in societal understanding, it remains misunderstood and a universally taboo subject. It is often brought up after a traumatizing event such as a mass shooting or suicide but remains ignored in the mundane day-to-day life. My work seeks to challenge this neglect by bringing mental health into daily conversation.
Inspired by Cesar A Cruz, I aim to create art that “comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable”. Through macabre imagery, muted or saturated color pallets, and depictions of internal organs, I intertwine these visual elements to be striking and uncomfortable but still approachable to the viewer. My works explore solitude and introspection from an individual, interpersonal, or societal level that spark reflection.
Working across multiple mediums including filmmaking, painting, choreographing, and drawing, my creative process strives to be a symphony of disciplines exploring visual and conceptual juxtapositions. I enjoy being multifaceted with my artistic journey as it provides new challenges, depth, and opportunities for a wider audience. My processes are often first inspired by theories in psychology which are translated in my art through the use of symbolism and metaphor. Through my art, I seek to explore new issues, marginalized communities, and shared experiences to serve as a reminder that we, as humans, have innate feelings, connections, and experiences that are so vastly different yet universal.