Ruofan Chen

Lives and works in Shanghai, China

Artist statement

Ruofan Chen's (b. 1996) practice engages slow, chronic forms of harm; invisible forces that quietly accumulate within bodies and environments, leading her to liken the Earth to a body. Her work begins with embodied perception: immediate sensory encounters where breath, skin, and nerves register environmental erosion. These lived experiences, breathing particulate-heavy air and handling industrial residue, initiate cyclical processes of material gathering and studio creation. Through this method, she visibly renders the gradual clogging of vital systems, making tangible what remains imperceptible until damage becomes irreversible. Her work has been exhibited internationally. Some recent solo exhibitions and projects include Dull ache, LC Queisser, Tbilisi (2026); Dust, shower, Seoul (2025), shelter, BANK, Shanghai (2024). Recent selected group exhibitions include 2026 Art Spectrum, HOAM Museum of Art, Seoul, (2026), Stay Connected: Supplying the Global, Tai Kwun Contemporary Art, Hong Kong (2026), The 15th Shanghai Biennale Does the flower hear the bee?, Power Station of Art (2025)

Artwork

• Suffocating, 2026. Wood, aluminum, cutting dust, shadow
• Penetration, 2026. Silicone, georgian wool, canned cat food, sawdust, wood, bamboo
• Vessels, 2026. fuel feed line, sawdust, woodchip
• Hours of Dust Accumulation IV, 2026. Oil on silk, linen, silk, organza, polyester, cotton thread, linen thread, silk thread, beech wood.
• Dull Ache, 2026. Silicone-modified plaster, recycled georgian wood, aluminum alloy
• Dust (Tai Kwun), 2025. Installation: Wood, aluminum, cutting dust, shadow Window part(layer of dust): Oil on Canvas, linen, cotton, silk, organza, polyester, cotton thread, linen thread, silk thread, beech wood.
• Dust(Shanghai Biennale), 2025. Sawdust, sand, gravel, wood chips, cotton thread, nylon multi-filament yarn, steel wire, steel plate.
• Layer of dust III, 2025. Oil on Canvas, linen, cotton, silk, organza, polyester, cotton thread, linen thread, silk thread, beech wood.
• the minutiae of “Sep 2023”-oak, 2024. Oil on Canvas, linen, cotton, silk, organza, polyester, cotton thread, linen thread, silk thread, pine wood.
• Archive tiny units close to emotions, 2024. Materials: mohair, wool, horsehair, dog hair, pig bristle, wolf hair, silk, cotton thread, sawdust, wood, veneer, electronic components, sand, stone, polyester, linen
• Layer of dust I, 2025. Oil on Canvas, linen, cotton, silk, organza, polyester, cotton thread, linen thread, silk thread, beech wood.
• Dust, 2025. Wood, aluminum, cutting dust, shadow
• Layer of dust VI, 2025. Oil on Canvas, linen, cotton, silk, organza, polyester, cotton thread, linen thread, silk thread, beech wood.
• collect memories, then store them for fermentation, 2023. salvaged beam, digital animation
• shelter, 2024
• Dust (still frame 133F)/Dust (still frame 481F), 2025. Acrylic on canvas, silk, linen, beech wood.
• Soft window, 2024. Sand, stone, sawdust, cotton thread, steel wire.
• Dust-free arena sand, Equestrian Arena Sand, 2025. sieve, silk organza, equestrian sand, equestrian fibers, handmade cotton paper, gravel, Japanese maple wood
• Protection cover, 2025. Installation: silk, organza, polyester, cotton thread, beech wood. animation:duration 00’’40