In February 2023, Chrysalis Arts Development welcomed Emerging Artist Yambe Tam as the first Artist in Residence at the Art Depot. Yambe’s residency proposal stood out from over 60 applications received.

In this interview, she speaks with two of the Chrysalis Arts Development Non-Executive Directors about her residency experience and the impact it’s had on her artist practice. 

Thank you to Yambe Tam, Sara Trentham-Black and Helen Turner. A special thank you to the project funders Arts Council England.

Watch the conclusion of Yambe’s Residency, Glacial Procession, here.

About Yambe

Yambe Tam is an artist and ordained Zen Buddhist creating contemplative experiences through sculpture, video games, and immersive installations.

These works meditate on the void and how conceptions of reality are constructed in humans and nonhumans, from microscopic to planetary scales. Often collaborating with creative technologists, sound designers, and scientific researchers, she builds interactive, immersive worlds that engage the senses in their primal instinct to explore and play.

About the Interviewers

Sara Trentham-Black

Sara Trentham-Black has worked in arts development and project management, and for Arts Council England (2002-10) and in consultancy. She also lectures in cultural policy and management at Sheffield Hallam University. 

Helen Turner

Helen Turner is the Associate Head of Art at York St John University, with a background in Public Art, specialising in Textiles, and experienced in project management, including community engagement. 

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Image: Staffs created by Yambe Tam.