Intro
Li Chen was born in 1963 in Taiwan, and currently works in Taichung. By incorporating feelings of mindfulness and interpretations of Chinese classics from Buddhist and Taoist values with contemporary thought, he has accomplished a style which liberated itself from the confines of tradition. Li’s underlying aesthetic principles of his sculptures are based not only on a “dual composition” of Eastern and Western sculptural language, but also on an ongoing dialogue with the spiritual and material cultures of Africa and Oceania.
His art work aspires to a spiritual arts therapy, as it uncovers a wealth of joy amidst the simple pleasures of life, innovating a spiritual space through humorous metaphors of worldly affairs. In 1999, Li Chen had his artwork debut in Taipei. His solo exhibitions include the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007, Venice), the National Art Museum of China (2008, Beijing), the Singapore Art Museum (2009, Singapore), the CKS Memorial Hall (2011, Taipei), the Frye Art Museum (2012, Seattle). In 2013, Li Chen launched an outdoor exhibition at Place VendĂ´me in Paris, drawing attention of many media outlets. In 2014 Li’s ”Ordinary People” debut in Beijing and then in 2017, MOCA, Taipei organized ”Being: In/Voluntary Drift ─ Li Chen Solo Exhibition”; both display Li Chen’s critical thinking about social issues and the (im)perfection of human beings that is hidden in his art.
