Li Chen was born in Yunlin, Taiwan in 1963, and currently lives and works in Taichung. Renowned for his distinctive "ink-black sculpture", Li merges classical Eastern philosophies—particularly from Buddhist and Taoist traditions—with contemporary thought and a sense of spiritual self-awareness. His works convey an extraordinary balance of weight and lightness, presenting an aesthetic that is at once rooted in tradition and wholly contemporary. Drawing from a “dual composition” of Eastern spirituality and Western sculptural form, Li's practice also engages in an ongoing dialogue with the spiritual and material cultures of Africa and Oceania, creating a globally resonant, transcultural sensibility.
Li's artistic vision aspires to what he calls a "spiritual arts therapy," aiming to uncover joy in simplicity and craft a contemplative space through playful, often humorous metaphors on worldly affairs. His sculptural universe explores the paradoxes of human nature—both its imperfections and aspirations—with tenderness, clarity, and depth.
Li Chen's career began in earnest with a debut exhibition in Taipei in 1999. Since 2000, his works have toured internationally, with exhibitions held in New York, Chicago, Jerusalem, Copenhagen, Miami, Paris, London, Beijing, Shanghai, Geneva, Singapore, and Seoul. Major solo exhibitions include Energy of Emptiness at the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007), the National Art Museum of China (2008, Beijing), the Singapore Art Museum (2009), the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (2011, Taipei), and the Frye Art Museum (2012, Seattle). In 2013, his monumental outdoor exhibition at Place Vendôme in Paris garnered international media attention from the BBC, CNN, AFP, and AP. That same year, Discovery Channel released a documentary tracing his creative journey across Venice, Paris, London, New York, Tibet, Beijing, Taipei, and Taichung. In 2014, Li premiered Ordinary People in Beijing, a series offering critical reflections on social issues and the imperfections of the human condition. This thematic exploration continued in Being: In/Voluntary Drift (MOCA Taipei, 2017) and Throughout the Ages (Aurora Museum, Shanghai, 2018). Recent exhibitions include Ethereal Cloud – Li Chen New Works (Asia Art Center, Beijing, 2019), Paradox in Elegance: Spiritual Journey through the Mundane World (Asia Art Center, Taipei, 2023), and Li Chen: Spirial Journey through the Great Ether (Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, 2026).
In 2024, Li Chen became the inaugural recipient of the "Outstanding Achievements in the Sculptural Arts Award" presented by the American Friends of Museums in Israel, a recognition of his enduring influence on contemporary sculpture. His work is held in major public collections worldwide, including Musée Cernuschi, the Olenska Foundation, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, and Taichung Art Museum.
Major publications on Li Chen's work include a comprehensive monograph Li Chen published by the renowned European art publisher Éditions Cercle d'Art in 2025.
Solo Exhibitions
2026 Li Chen : Spiritual Journey Through the Great Ether, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou
2025 Li Chen: Bewilderment and Enigma, A Subversive Sophistry of Humanity, Taipei,
Asia Art Center, Taipei, Taiwan
Heavenly Realm, Mortal World: Spiritual Journey through the Mundane World
Li Chen Ink Black Sculpture 2020 2023, Asia Art Center, Beijing, Taiwan
2023 Li Chen: Paradox in Elegance Spiritual Journey through the Mundane World, Asia Art Center, Taipei, Taiwan
2019 Ethereal Cloud Li Chen New Wor ks, Asia Art Center, Beijing, China
2018 Through the Ages Li Chen Solo Exhibition, Aurora Museum, Shanghai, China
2017 Being: In/Voluntary Drift Li Chen Solo Exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
2015 Invitational Exhibition at the 68th Festival de Cannes, Cannes, France
2014 Journey of Solitary Existence: Li Chen Ordinary Pe ople Debut Exhibition, Asia Art Center, Beijing, China
2013 Chineseness A Documentary Exhibition on Li Chen, Asia Art Center, Taipei, Taiwan
Monumental Levity: Li Chen 2013 Place Vendôme Premiere Solo Exhibition in Paris, Place Vendôme, Paris, France
2012 Li Chen: E ternity and Commoner, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, USA
2011 Greatness of Spirit: Li Chen Premiere Sculpture Exhibition in Taiwan, Taipei, Taiwan
2010 The Beacon When Night Light Glimmers, Sh Contemporary 10, Shanghai, China
2009 Li Chen: Mind Body Spirit, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
2008 Soul Guardians In an Age of Disasters and Calamities, Asia Art Center, Beijing, China
In Search of Spiritual Space, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
2007 Energy of Emptiness, 52nd International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Ven ezia
(Telecom Italia Future Centre), Venice, Italy
2003 Spiritual Journey through the Great Ether, Michael Goedhuis Gallery, New York, USA
2001 Delights of Ordinary People, River Art Gallery, Taichung, Taiwan
1999 Energy of Emptiness, Taipei World Trade Center Hall1, Taipei, Taiwan
Group Exhibitions
2024 Future Garden: Public Art Exhibition, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangdong, China
2023 Time Gravity 2023 Chengdu Biennale, Chengdu Art Museum, Chengdu, China
2022 Seeking the Way and Forgetting the Far Cross strait Contemporary Ink Painting, Daxin Art Museum, Guangzhou, China
2021 Transgression throughout the Volatile World Inaugural Exhibition of Asia Art Center
Taipei New Flagship Space, Asia Art Center, Taipei, Taiwan
2020 2020 ─ Song Art Invitation Exhibition, Song Art Museum, Beijing, China
2019 Buddha China Buddhist Objects in the Early Stage from the Gansu Provincial Museum, Suzhou Museum, Suzhou, China
Pingyao International Sculpture Festival, Pingyao, China
2018 Extended Space 2018 Dongguan Sculpture & Installation Art Festival, Qifengshan Art Museum, Dongguan, China
2016 The Return of Elegancy Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition, Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen, China
Metamorphosis Biennale China Italia, Manet Art Gallery, Beijing, China
2015 Rest on Water and Gargle with Stone Chinese Contemporary Literati Art, Asia Art Center, Beijing, China
2015 Taiyuan International Sculpture Biennial, Taiyuan Art Museum, Taiyuan, China
The 2nd Chinese Contemporary Buddhist Art Exhibition, Buddhist Palace, Wuxi, China
Taoyuan Land Art Festival, Taoyuan, Taiwan
2014 Meet on the Silk Road The 1st China Xin jiang International Art Biennale, Xinjiang
International Convention and Exhibition Center, Urumqi, China
2013 Culture. Mind. Becoming, 55th International Art Exhibition 2003 La Biennale di Venezia (Palazzo Mora), Venice, Italy
Extension 2013 Datong 2nd Inte rnational Sculpture Biennale, Datong, Shanxi, China
2012 The Five Elements: Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, Earth, IT Park, Taipei, Taiwan
2011 Splendid Ethics, Interalia Art Company, Seoul, Korea
2010 Spirit of the East II Bridging, Asia Art Center, Beijing, China
2008 Spirit of the East I Accumulations, Asia Art Center, Beijing, China
The Origin: The first Annual Moon River Sculpture Festival, Moon River Museum of Contemporary Art, Beijing, China
2007 China Onward: Chinese Contemporary Art, 1966 2006, The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen, Denmark
China Onward: Chinese Contemporary Art, 1966 2006, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
OPENASIA, 10thInternational Exhibition of Sculptures and Installations, Venice, Italy
The Power of the Universe Exhibition of Frontier, Contempor ary Chinese Art, Asia Art Center, Beijing, China
Exploration and Revolution of images in reality by the 14 contemporary Chinese Artists, Doosan Art Center, Seoul, Korea
Top 10 Chinese Contemporary Sculpture Exhibition, Asia Art Center, Beijing, China
2004 Fiction Love Ultra New Vision in Contemporary Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan
OPENASIA, 7thInternational Exhibition of Sculptures and Installations, Venice, Italy
2003 Inner Nature, Michael Goedhuis Gallery, London, France
2001 China Without Borders, Sotheby’s New York, New York, USA
Vitality, Fubon Art Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan
2000 Recording Recalling, Fubon Art Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan
1999 The People Prelude, Modern Art Gallery, Taichung, Taiwan
Awards
American Friends of Museums in Israel's Outstanding Achievements in the Sculptural Arts Award
Selected Institution and Private Collection
Institution Collection
Musée Cernuschi, Paris, France
Olenska Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland
Global Art Center Foundation, Venice, Italy
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan
Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Taichung Green Museumbrary, Taichung, Taiwan
Tzu Chi Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
Fa Shiang Shan Cultural and Educational Foundation, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Chung Tai Cultural and Educational Foundation, Nantou, Taiwan
Kung Ming School, Taichung, Taiwan
Fengle Sculpture Park, Taichung, Taiwan
National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
China Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China
Aurora Museum, Shanghai, China
He Art Museum, Foshan, China
The Parkview Museum, Beijing, China
Private Collection
Huaku Sky Garden, Taipei, Taiwan
Diamond Towers, Taipei, Taiwan
Vison Utmost, Taipei, Taiwan
Fubon Sky Tree, Taichung, Taiwan
Résidence de l’aqua, Taipei, Taiwan
PCMP Group Daan Park Residence, Taipei, Taiwan
J&V Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan
ASPEED Technology Inc., Hsinchu, Taiwan
Yanlord Land Group Limited, Nanjing, China
Hengdian Group Holdings Limited, Hangzhou, China
TwentyOne Angullia Park, Singapore
The St. Regis Hotel Singapore, Singapore
Wheelock Properties (Singapore) Limited, Singapore
Paradise Group, Singapore
Cache Capital Pte. Ltd. Singapore
Charles & Keith, Singapore
Summit Chugoku Seira Co., Ltd., Chon Buri, Thailand
Pakuwon Group Surabaya, Indonesia
YU Feng Pty Ltd. Brisbane, Australia
Publications
Li Chen, Les Éditions Cercle d'Art, France, 2025