Chen Fei

 

Chen Fei is part of the exciting new young generation of artists that have benefited from a loosening of the social and cultural constraints suffered by previous generations. Moving away from the political-pop and cynical realism subjects of the ‘New wave’ artists that emerged in China in the 1980’s Chen Fei instead embraces mass media and uses it as a positive source of inspiration. Film plays a big role in the development of his ideas and subjects; the artist is keen on narratives in his work and regards his compositions as stills from a movie yet to be made. Each painting is treated like a film complete with screenplay and like all great directors he has his muses, choosing mainly his girlfriend, his pet dog or himself to appear in his paintings.

 

Chen Fei’s mature and highly developed ‘super flat’ painting style is reminiscent of comic books and Japanese cartoons, like the media they emulate they are youthful and vibrant in style and yet unlike cartoons and comics Chen Fei’s subjects are occasionally more sinister and darker in tone. Chen Fei is a consummate professional demanding always and only the best from himself:

‘’Art does not depend on age or gender, what matters is whether an artwork is good or bad. No one will forgive your mediocrity just because you are young. If you are a genius, you can always be one step beyond your generation and you will always be recognised.”