Artist, designer, author, and educator.
June He was born and raised in Suzhou, China, and currently lives in New York Metro area. Her work investigates and critiques issues at the intersections of creativity, culture, and humanity. Her prolific practice includes a variety of media from painting, drawing, and writing, to design and storytelling.
Education
2007-2009 MFA, Industrial Design, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
2002-2005 B.Eng., School of Design, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
Selected Exhibitions and Shows
2021. Bonds Beyond Time, Alfa Art Gallery, New Brunswick, NJ
2021. Privilege, Power, and Everyday Life, Studio Montclair Gallery, Montclair, NJ.
2020 New Directions 2020: 36th annual National Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Barrett Art Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
2020 The Flag Project, Rockefeller Center, New York City, NY
2020 ABSTRACT, Queen City 15 Fine Art Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY
2020 Look Back in Wonder, Arts Mid-Hudson, Poughkeepsie, NY
2020 Prayers for the Pandemic, Drawing Rooms Art Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
2019 Independent Art Book Fair, Industria Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
2019 Vision Expo West, Sands Expo Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV
2019 SILMO Paris, Paris Nord Villepinte, Paris, France
2019 MIDO, Fiera Milano, Milan, Italy
2009 School of Art + Design Master of Fine Arts Exhibition, Krannert Art Museum, IL
2008 Disability + Design, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Union Art Gallery, Urbana, IL
Professional Experience
2021-2022 Assistant Professor of Product Design, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA,
2019-2022 Creative Director, June He Studio, NJ. Clients: Rockefeller Center, New York Public Library, Queens Public Library, Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab, Be the Change Foundation, The New York Association of Chinese Women Writers, etc.
2018-2019 Senior Designer, Marcolin Eyewear, Somerville, NJ. Clients: GUESS, Tom Ford, Timberland, Harley-Davidson, Emilio Pucci etc.
2014-2018 Product Design Supervisor, Warby Parker, New York City, NY.
2010-2014 Product Designer, Marchon Eyewear, Inc., New York City, NY. Clients: Michael Kors, Diane von Furstenberg (DVF), Calvin Klein, Henri Bendel, Victoria’s Secret, Nike, etc.
2010 Senior Accessory Designer, Jimmy Crystal New York, New York City, NY. Clients: Miss Universe Ximena Navarrete, Swarovski Crystal, Wynn LAS VEGAS, etc.
2008. Industrial Design Intern, Kohler Company, Kohler, WI.
Teaching and Workshop
2022. Virtual Guest Speaker and critic for Industrial Design Studio Course INDD3210 Design Studio, Auburn University, Auburn, AL.
2021. PIVOT Culture. R-Lab Collaboration with University of Edinburg. https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/rlab/category/programme/
2021. Virtual Storytelling and Drawing Workshop, Brooklyn Public Library, New York, NY. https://www.bklynlibrary.org/calendar/author-reading-and-virtual-20210210
2021. Virtual Artist talk at Drawing Rooms, Jersey City, NJ.
2020. Virtual Artist talk at Barrett Art Center / Dutchess County Art Association, Poughkeepsie, NY. https://www.facebook.com/DCAAbarrett/videos/1717086755126369
2020. Virtual Author’s Talk About Creative Process, New York Chinese Women Writers’ Association, New York, NY. https://youtu.be/432hLnDttxc
2020. Virtual Storytelling and Drawing Workshop, New York Public Library, New York, NY. https://vimeo.com/449013544
2019 Storytelling and Drawing Workshop for about 45 K-6 students, Queens Public Library, New York, NY.
2019 Illustration Workshop for about 35 K-6 students, Springfield Genius Academy, Springfield, NJ
2017 Chinese Author Talk Series (XII) Lonely Manhattan, about 75 people attended, Queens Public Library, Flushing, NY.
2015 Instructor and Mentor for teen design fair, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, about 300 students, NYC, NY.
2010 Art & Design Lecture and Workshop for about 55 undergraduate design students, Southern Yangtze University, Wuxi, China.
2007 - 2009 Graduate Teaching Assistant for a variety of courses, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL.
Publication
He, J. (2022). Design Thinking in Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Creating Innovative Solutions for Students' Community. In: Francisco Rebelo (eds) Ergonomics In Design. AHFE (2022) International Conference. AHFE Open Access, vol 47. AHFE International, USA. http://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1001967
June HE. (2019, July). Kaia and Tutu’s Journey to the World. Children’s Picture Book. Illustrator & Author. New York: June He.
June HE. (2019, July). A Confession from A Product Designer. Global Chinese Times, A30.
June HE. (2018, September). The Gap Between Mother Tongue. Global Chinese Times, A30.
June HE. (2016, October). Lonely Manhattan《孤岛曼哈顿》. Fiction Book. China translation and publishing Corporation.
June HE. (2014). Heightened Sensitivity to the Material Landscape of Chinese Women Living in America. Aesthetic and Times 552, 23-27.
June HE. (2013). From China to America (Chinese Edition). Poems and Prose Collection. New York: June He.
Deana MCDONAGH, Joyce THOMAS, Siying CHEN, June HE, Yong Seok HONG, Yunjin KIM, Zhongren ZHANG, and Feniosky PENA-MORA. (2009, April). Empathic Design Research: Disability + Relevant Design. The proceedings of the 8th European Academy of Design Conference: Design Connexity, Aberdeen Scotland, 1-3.
Collections
Rockefeller Center, New York City, NY
Swarovski Creative Center, New York City, NY
New York Public Library
Queens Public Library
Affiliations
Industrial Designers Society of America
American Association of Chinese Writers 北美中文作家协会会员
The New York Association of Chinese Women Writers 纽约华文女作家协会会员
Overseas Chinese Women Writers Association 海外华文女作家协会会员