Jess Chen

Jess Chen studies modern art with a focus on Central Asia. Her research engages with nomadic philosophies; concepts of nationhood and empire; relationships between material culture, tactility, and avant-garde practices; and histories of ornament.

Before coming to Harvard, she received her MA from the Graduate Program in the History of Art at Williams College and worked at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art as a Graduate Curatorial Fellow. Her writing has appeared in Artforum, the Brooklyn Rail, MOMUS, and other outlets. She graduated summa cum laude from Duke University with a BA in Art History and Public Policy.