One of Europe's most prestigious French art publishers, Éditions Cercle d'Art, will release a substantial 232-page monograph on Li Chen in the first quarter of 2026. The volume features essays of over ten thousand words by Yuan-Chih Cheng, Head of Collections at the Musée d'art contemporain du Val-de-Marne (MAC VAL) in Greater Paris, and is designed by senior French designer Camille Delahousse with the assistance of François Meunier. Published as a bilingual French–English edition and printed and distributed in Europe, the monograph offers an in-depth examination of Li Chen's artistic development over more than three decades, presenting key representative works from all of his major series.
Éditions Cercle d'Art was founded in 1949 by Charles Feld (1919–1995) with the strong support of the leading figure of modern art, Pablo Picasso (1881–1973). Through more than seventy years of sustained dedication and development, the publishing house has established an unassailable reputation and standing within the European art-publishing field. Guided by his forward-looking understanding of the potential of print technologies and artistic dissemination, Picasso was actively involved with the publisher from its inception and continued to collaborate until the final years of his life, ushering in a distinguished era centred on the production of high-quality art books.
Over the decades, Éditions Cercle d'Art has remained committed to the highest standards of art publishing. Its catalogue spans classical, modern, and contemporary art, featuring monographs on many historically significant masters, including Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851), Paul Cézanne (1839–1906), Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890), Gustav Klimt (1862–1918), Henri Matisse (1869–1954), Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968), Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), Henry Moore (1898–1986), Jackson Pollock (1912–1956), Andy Warhol (1928–1987), Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988), and Francis Bacon (1909–1992). The publisher is internationally recognised for its rigorous editorial standards and exceptional printing craftsmanship.
Thomas Vivien, Director of Éditions Cercle d'Art, remarks:
“Over several decades, Li Chen has developed an artistic system of remarkable depth and coherence. While bronze remains his primary medium, he has continually explored a wide range of materials, pursuing an artistic journey that integrates profound spirituality, reflections on human contradiction, and a keen sensitivity to contemporary life.”
The launch of Li Chen's new monograph is planned for the first half of 2026 in Paris and will be accompanied by an academic forum held at the Musée Cernuschi. The forum will be moderated by Mael Bellec, Curator at the Musée Cernuschi. Li Chen will also be present on-stie, engaging directly with scholars and art enthusiasts and sharing his creative reflections and artistic ethos.
