Born in China in 1955, Shen Chen is a New York-based artist whose practice bridges traditional Chinese painting and contemporary abstraction.

His work draws upon the slow, contemplative gestures of classical Chinese ink painting, while translating them into a distinctly contemporary visual language. Entirely abstract and informed by the principles of Minimalism, his paintings explore the subtle relationships between brushstroke, colour, rhythm, and tonal variation.

Working with a diverse selection of traditional Chinese brushes, Shen builds his compositions through the repetitive and deeply meditative act of laying down individual strokes. This intimate process allows him to move beyond conscious thought and enter a state of openness and contemplation. The paintings become a reflection of the artist’s inner state—a visual form of stream of consciousness in which time, movement, and spirit are gradually inscribed onto the surface.

Each brushstroke is therefore more than a formal element: it is a trace of the moment in which it was made, preserving the passage of time and the artist’s state of mind. What remains on the canvas is both the physical residue of the process and a quiet meditation on presence, impermanence, and the inner spirit.