Born in Tainan, Taiwan, 1984
Currently lives and works in Taipei, Taiwan
Chen Ching-Yuan received his MFA in 2013 from the School of Fine Arts of the Taipei National University of the Arts. In recent years, he attempts to capture through his painting the subtle sensibility that weaves through literature, mythology, and history in different cultural contexts. The artist's unique compositions coalesce into a constellation of images where the absence of the temporal element and the fragmentation of meaning elicit unexpected narrative parallels between the artist's imaginary worlds and the essence of humanity.
Cocooned in a romanticist ambience, Chen Ching-Yuan's work is built on a sense of déjà vu that enshrouds mystifyingly surrealist narratives that appear at first glance pregnant with fixed and careful connotations. An overflow of subtle and fragmented symbols pervades his painting, where sensory experiences are reconstructed with plausible, fleeting narrative clues. His intricate palette and loose compositions collapse connections between each work, turning every piece into a fable tinged with the artist’s profound consciousness.
Chen’s notable solo exhibitions include PAGES (2021–20), TKG+, Taipei, Taiwan (2021); The Brick and Timber, White Cube, Online Viewing Room (2021); Card Stunt, Mor Charpentier, Paris, France (2019); The Spider on Ship, ITPARK, Taipei, Taiwan (2017); What am I? If I can’t be yours, TKG+, Taipei, Taiwan (2016); Un title, ITPark, Taipei, Taiwan (2015); Gestos — Até os olhos da ilha, Logo Gallery, São Paulo, Brazil (2014); (flare-s) Chen Ching-Yuan × TKG+ Projects, TKG+ Projects, Taipei, Taiwan (2013); Staggering Matter, TKG+, Taipei, Taiwan (2011), and The LiQUiD STATE, VT Artsalon, Taipei, Taiwan (2009). He has exhibited internationally, including Small World — Taipei Biennial, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan (2023), Yes, Taiwan — 2016 Taiwan Biennial, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan (2016), the 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia (2015); Asia Triennial Manchester, Manchester, U.K. (2014); and 7th Busan International Video Festival, Space Bandee, Busan, Korea (2010).