Born in Fujian, China, Chen Jinqing established his studio in Beijing in 2008 and has since become one of the leading figures in contemporary Chinese sculpture. His work was selected as a diplomatic gift and collected during the 3rd Understanding China International Conference in 2018, and he currently serves as a member of the Public Art Committee of the Architectural Society of China.
His path has been marked by constant attempts and transformation. Unsurprisingly, his sculptures share the same approachable spirit as the artist himself. They possess a natural ease that invites a smile without demanding explanation. As Chen recalls:
“I come from Anxi in Quanzhou, Fujian. When I was a child, I often dug up the red earth used for cultivating Tieguanyin tea. The soil was sticky, so I would shape it with my hands and play with it. I couldn't really explain why, I just simply wanted to do it. Making things with my hands brought me happiness.”
While Chen’s artistic focus remains rooted in the realities of everyday life, what he expresses is deeply informed by Eastern philosophical traditions. Deer, phoenix, lions, horses, figures of youth, and plants are not straightforward representations of the visible world. Rather, they evoke a spiritual origin suspended between memory and imagination. These gentle and animated forms carry traces of the artist’s journey from childhood memories of red earth in the tea gardens, through years of quiet perseverance after moving to Beijing, to the freedom of expression he enjoys today. His sculptures consistently point toward a state of “return”: having passed through the complexities of the worldly realm without losing a sense of innocence; having witnessed life’s abundance while remaining willing to befriend all living things. Through the turning of the seasons, all beings breathe and flourish together, forming a pastoral spirituality that is pure, unadorned, and deeply human.
His Singapore solo exhibition in 2026, A Pastoral Song, features the series of “Dragon and Phoenix,” “Spring Buds”, “Deer”, and “Horses”. Traditionally, a “pastoral” is a song born from the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature. For Chen Jinqing, it represents the ideal state of mind that he has continually cultivated throughout his life and creativity.
Duration: 4-19 Jul 2026, 10am-9:30pm daily
Location: Paragon Singapore Main Atrium Level 1
