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(b. Yafei Zheng, Beijing)

London-based interdisciplinary artist working with performance, visual art, theatre, video and text. She explores the socio-political issues of diaspora and migration along with heritage and generational trauma. Her practice is primarily influenced by her personal journeys of mental health, gender, spirituality and nature. She adopted the artist name Faye Yan in January 2025. Before then, she created under her legal name Yafei Zheng. 

EDUCATION

2022 – 2023

MA in Performance Making, Goldsmiths, University of London.

2017 –  2021

BA in Comparative Literature with a minor in Film, Media, and Television, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

PERFORMANCE AND EXHIBITION

2025

  • IS THERE WORK ON MARS?: 60 min solo theatre performance at ZOO Playground (Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh) - Upcoming in August, 18 shows.

  • IS THERE WORK ON MARS?: 60 min solo theatre performance at The Madnani Theater (Hollywood Fringe, LA) - Upcoming in June, 7 shows.

2024

  • all the dates I’ve lived and all the ones I remember: durational live installation performance in group exhibition, Aotuspace (Beijing).

  • Is There Work on Mars?: 10 min performance at Contact Theatre (Emergency Festival 24, Manchester).

  • Is There Work on Mars?: 40 min solo theatre performance at theSpace @Surgeon’s Hall (Edinburgh Fringe, Edinburgh), 12 shows.

  • Is There Work on Mars?: 40 min solo theatre performance at Etcetera Theatre (Camden Fringe, London).

  • Is There Work on Mars?: 40 min solo theatre performance at Theatre Peckham (Peckham Fringe, London), 2 shows.

  • Inscriptions: interactive duet performance with Sol Santana, Riposte, Eletrowerkz (London).

 2023

  • Dressing Terror Nova: exhibition of costumes and materials made for the production of Terror Nova, Goldsmiths Textile Collection.

  • Terror Nova: cabaret-theatre performance with Runxuan Yang and Taya Jones, Goldsmiths, University of London.

 2021

  • Queen: interactive performer at Sida Jiang’s exhibition, X Museum, Beijing.

 2017-2019

  • The Vagina Monologues: performer, V-Day Coalition (Los Angeles).

RESIDENCIES

  • Arteles, Haukijärvi, Finland, March 2025.

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

  • Is There Work on Mars? (theatre) - Nominated for The ADHD Comedy Award - Neurodiverse Review - Edinburgh Fringe, 2024

  • The Flower (stop motion animation) - Winner of Best Animation - Shorttakes Festival, 2021

  • Shadow of the Notes (short film) - Winner of Best Screenplay - International Youth Short Film Competition, 2016

IN PRESS AND MEDIA

★★★★★ “Impressingly genuine”

Talking ’bout a revolution, review on Is There Work on Mars?, Morning Star, Aug 2024

“A thought-provoking play that accurately depicts the insipid structure of immigration systems”

REVIEW: Is There Work on Mars?, A Young(ish) Perspective, May 2024

Yafei Zheng - Is There Work On Mars Peckham Fringe Interview, Beyond the Curtain, Apr 2024

COURSES AND TRAININGS

  • Edinburgh Lab, Soho Theatre, 2024.

  • Directing with Katie Mitchell, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, 2024.

  • Creating Solo Performance with Hannah Ballou, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, 2024.

  • Introduction to Playwriting, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, 2023