RUBY CHEN (b. 2001) is an emerging multidisciplinary artist working primarily through sculptures and paintings. Currently based in London, Chen has an MA in Contemporary Art Practice from the Royal College of Art, following undergraduate studies in Economics at New York University. Her academic background in social policy informs a materially driven practice that examines how technological progress often reconstructs archaic systems of domination under the guise of innovation.
Her works frequently incorporate humanoid materials and industrial components, where animal fur, skin-textured rubber, synthetic hair, and metal frameworks evoke the embedding of bodies within structures of machinery. Drawing parallels between the military imperatives that drive technological advancement and the gradual disappearance of bodies into infrastructures, Chen exposes how narratives of progress remain inseparable from systems of control, revealing the persistent return of historical forms of violence and the subconscious recognition of the body within them.
Chen’s works have been exhibited internationally by New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA), NYC, LUmkA, London, and MONTI8, Rome. The artist’s works have been featured in publications such as Flash Art, Metal Magazine, Office Magazine, IMPULSE Magazine, and Hypebae, among others.
Curriculum Vitae
b. 2001, Pingtung, Taiwan
Lives and works in London, United Kingdom
Education
2026 MA, Contemporary Art Practice, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2023 BA, Economics, New York University, College of Arts & Science, New York, USA
Exhibitions
2026 Closed-Circuit Terminal Viewing, Asia NOW (Fair), Paris, France
2026 Event-0 Manual Override, LUmkA, London, United Kingdom (Solo)
2026 Privacy Index, LUmkA, London, United Kingdom
2026 The Bell Jar, MONTI8, Rome, Italy
2025 Minor Attractions (Fair), Mandrake Hotel, London, UK
2025 As It Turns Quiet, We Rot, LUmkA, Shanghai, China
2024 Don’t, Don’t Do It Again, Alexia Project, Shanghai, China
2024 Cult of Domesticity, LUmkA, New York, US
2024 ASSEMBLY, New Art Dealers Alliance, curated by Katie A. Pfohl
2023 SKIN/IN SITU, LUmkA, New York, US
Press (Selected)
Basili, Giorgia. “5 Offseen Exhibitions to See in October,” Offseen, 9 October 2026
Thélot, Ruby Justice. “Humanity’s Viral Resistance: A Conversation with Artist Ruby Chen,” Taste 101, 4 October 2026
“Event-0 Manual Override: Artforum ‘Must See’,” Artguide, 1 October 2026
Zhu, Yiran. “Seeing and Being Seen: Privacy Index and the Politics of Surveillance,” IMPULSE Magazine, 12 April 2026
Vona, Luca. “Protezione e costrizione sono due facce della stessa medaglia. Una mostra a Roma lo dimostra,” Artribune, 11 April 2026
Valero, David. “Privacy Index: The Big Brother Is Watching,” Metal Magazine, 10 April 2026
D’Ovidio, Marianna. “The Bell Jar. Sette Artisti Omaggiano Sylvia Plath,” art a part of cult(ure) remove background noise, 24 March 2026
Westall, Mark. “New York’s LUmkA Gallery Relocates to London with Group Show Privacy Index,” FAD Magazine, 9 March 2026
Hallström, Sofia. “Fair That Feels. Minor Attractions 2025,” Flash Art, 24 October 2025
Jennings, Phin. “The Art Market Sees Glimmers of Hope During London’s Frieze Week,” Bloomberg, 17 October 2025
Westall, Mark. "5 To See at Minor Attractions 2025,” FAD Magazine, 16 October 2025
Monahan, Cait. “In Ruby Chen’s World, the Flesh Remembers What the Screen Forgets,” Hypebae, 8 October 2025
“As It Turns Quiet, We Rot,” Office Magazine, 14 July 2025
Wang, Jenny XueZhu. “‘Cult of Domesticity’ at LUmkA,” IMPULSE Magazine, 29 December 2024
“LUmkA Presents The Cult of Domesticity Showcasing The Work of Ilayda Celik, Ruby Chen, Nereida Patricia & Eden Taff,” Mundane Magazine, 2024
Falb, Sam. “The Shows You Need to See in New York This October,” Elephant Magazine, 8 October 2024
Residencies
2024 Embracing The Unknown, MenLo Studio Gallery & Residency, Jingdezhen, China
Publications
“Privacy Index: Satellite 01,” Satellite, 2026
“Annotations on SKIN/IN SITU,” Ninety Seven, 2023