Susan Chen (born 1992) is an artist and painter in New York City.[1][2][3] Her portrait paintings survey communities, exploring topics on identity, the psychology of race, and social change.[4][5]
Susan Chen's early work focused on highlighting stories within the Asian diaspora and Asian American community. In 2020, Chen presented her inaugural solo exhibition at Meredith Rosen Gallery post-graduate school, receiving a review from art critic John Yau titled "A Powerful Debut."[8] The exhibition featured thirteen paintings depicting Asian Americans from Chen's neighborhood and online connections, including portraits of family and friends, self-portraits, and a group of Asian American students on Columbia University's campus.[9][10][11][12] The paintings explored topics related to the Asian American diaspora, including stereotypes, the model minority myth, racial melancholia, and the complexities of assimilation.[13]
Her exhibition 'I Am Not A Virus' at Night Gallery in 2021 featured a series of seventeen collaborative Zoom portraits reflecting on the anti-Asian hate crimes that occurred across America during the pandemic.[14][15]
Susan Chen's artwork, titled 'I Am Not the Kung Flu,' was featured on the cover of New York Magazine from September 26–October 9, 2022 in the issue, "At Home in Asian America: Who Are We Becoming?".[16] The piece, originally part of Chen's 2021 exhibition 'I Am Not a Virus,' is one of several paintings created by Chen over Zoom during the pandemic. The self-portrait depicts the artist wearing a mask, a post-vaccine Band-Aid, Zoom emoticons, and items associated with self-defense, including pepper sprays, a taser, pepper gel gun, a whistle, and a Feng Shui Bagua mirror.[16]
In 2022, Chen collaborated with New York City Chinatown community groups, including Chinatown Block Watch[17][18] and a group from Chinatown's non-profit organization Apex for Youth to document them into oil painting group portraits. The painting Chinatown Block Watch (2022) was displayed at Jeffrey Deitch gallery as part of the exhibition 'Wonder Women,' curated by Kathy Huang.[19] The latter painting was exhibited at The Aldrich Museum in the feminist exhibition, "52 Artists: A Feminist Milestone," curated by Amy Smith-Stewart.[20][21][22][23]
In 2023, Chen presented a series of Purell bottle still lifes at Rachel Uffner Gallery.[24][25] The show featured eleven works, including two Purell Clocks in soft pastels and oil paintings and charcoal drawings of Purell bottles. In John Yau's exhibition review titled, "The Many Lives of a Purell Bottle," comparisons were drawn between her drawings and the style of Philip Guston.[26] During the exhibition, a triptych of her paintings were stolen from the gallery in an art heist.[27]
Susan Chen's 2024 solo exhibition "Plan B" at Rachel Uffner Gallery showcased the artist's debut ceramics alongside six large-scale group portraits. The paintings were created through live portrait-painting sessions with 39 individuals, reflecting Chen's commitment to community engagement. The works addressed various topics from personal to political, including women's reproductive rights and activism. Chen's playful yet thought-provoking social commentary received positive reviews. In a Whitewall Magazine review, art critic Sarah Bochicchio highlighted the effectiveness of Chen's ceramic installations, including oversized Purell bottles, Plan B and Tampax boxes, in conveying the urgency of everyday items. Bochicchio also highlighted the poignant depiction of the aftermath of Roe v. Wade's overturning in Chen's paintings, emphasizing the importance of support networks and shared experiences among women. The exhibition was profiled in Artnet's "Up Next" column by Katie White and listed among the "8 Shows by Women Artists to Watch This Month" in March 2024 by Cultured Magazine.[28][29][30]
The artist has received various recognitions for her work, including being listed as a Forbes 30 Under 30 2022 Art & Style honoree,[32] inclusion in the Artsy Vanguard 2022 list,[33] an Artist-in-Residence at Silver Art Projects at the World Trade Center (2021–2022),[34][35] and receiving the Fall 2020 Hopper Prize, which was juried by Christine Koppes and Jade Powers.[36][18]
Collectors & Market
Susan Chen's early collectors include museum board members Pamela and David Hornik,[37] Carla Shen,[38] Joel Lubin,[39] and Italian collectors behind The Underdog Collection.[40] In the artist's auction debut at Phillips New Now in New York on March 8, 2023[41] the artwork sold for $35,560, exceeding its estimate.[42][43] Her debut solo exhibitions in New York and Los Angeles were sold out.[4]
