Chen Wei constructs personal narratives using fabricated props and cinematically staged scenes, all of which are meticulously assembled inside his studio. Every image is a fragmented time space caught in suspension, evoking social conditions and memories through recurring motifs. Through these fictional scenes of objects, interiors and cityscapes, familiar yet surreal, Chen exposes the psychological and socio-political characters of contemporary China: collective yearning for betterment, disillusionment of consumerist desires, and a nostalgia for a haphazardly erased past. Besides photography, Chen also creates multi-media installations: his LED sculptures and videos are reminiscent of urban living experiences.
Chen’s solo exhibitions include “Sweet Dreams” at Fotografiska Shanghai (Shanghai, 2024), “Make me illusory” at West Bund Art Museum (Shanghai, 2021), “The Last Night” at Blindspot Gallery (Hong Kong, 2021), “Good Night” at HOW Art Museum (Shanghai, 2021), “The Club” at Centre for Contemporary Photography (Melbourne, 2017), “Noon Club” at JNBY FESTIVAL No.1 (Hangzhou, 2016) and “In the Waves” at K11 chi art museum (Shanghai, 2015). Chen has also participated in group exhibitions at Centre Pompidou (Paris, 2024), 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art (Kanazawa, 2024 & 2020), Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (Tokyo, 2024), Macalline Center of Art (Beijing, 2024), Yuz Museum (Shanghai, 2023), White Rabbit Gallery (Sydney, 2023), He Art Museum (Guangdong, 2022), Wuhan Art Museum (Wuhan, 2021), Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung (Munich, 2020), Tai Kwun Contemporary (Hong Kong, 2019), Asia Society Texas Center (Houston, 2016), Museum Folkwang (Essen, 2015), Stavanger Art Museum (Stavanger, 2014), Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (Beijing, 2013) and Seoul Museum of Art (Seoul, 2006).
Chen currently lives and works in Beijing.
