b. 2001

Installation Artist

Lives and works in Shanghai, China

Ruby Chen (b. 2001, Taipei, Taiwan) is an emerging multidisciplinary artist specializing in sculptures and paintings, whose works are inspired by ancient cultures and primal human compulsions. Raised in Shanghai where she continues to work and reside, Chen practices the abstraction of materials to evoke an anthropomorphic quality.

Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art Practice at the Royal College of Art, London, following her formative studies in Economics at New York University, U.S., Chen combines her training in theoretical applications of social policies with her artistic practice.

Fascinated by the contrast of human desires, and the societal structures in which they exist under, Chen inquires on the clashing yet coexisting impulses: the urge to break free of confinement and be reborn anew, versus the inevitability of repeating and fixating on the past.

The artist’s works often incorporate humanoid materials such as skin-textured wax, tangled hair, and beating sounds, and are installed under a hyper-contextualized environment, reflecting Chen’s engagement with both the unconscious human psyche and socio-political theories.

Chen is currently exhibiting with LUmkA, NYC. The artist’s works can be found in various international private collections.

Curriculum Vitae

Born in Shanghai, China, where the artist continues to work and reside

EDUCATION

2023 Economics, New York University, College of Arts and Science, BA

2026 Contemporary Art Practice, Royal College of Art, MA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2024 Don’t, Don’t Do It Again, Alexia Project, Shanghai, China

Cult of Domesticity, LUmkA, New York, US

ASSEMBLY, New Art Dealers Alliance, curated by Katie A. Pfohl

2023 SKIN/IN SITU, LUmkA, New York, US

PUBLICATIONS

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

Scourtez, Zoe. “LUmkA: Abstraction as Reality,” Hazze Media, 2024

“Annotations on SKIN/IN SITU,” Ninety Seven, 2023

RESIDENCIES

2024 Embracing The Unknown, MenLo Studio Gallery & Residency, Jingdezhen, China