Chen Chieh-jen
born 1960, in Taoyuan, Taiwan; lives and works in Taipei, Taiwan
Chen Chieh-jen’s socio-politically driven videos mine the turbulent modern history of Taiwan. His formative works comprise photography, installation, and performance and were created during the country’s Martial Law period (1949–87). These early works primarily focus on issues relating to precolonial and colonial warfare against China and Japan. After martial law ended, Chen ceased his artistic activity for eight years. Returning to art in 1996, he began collaborating with those relegated to the edges of Taiwanese society. The artist quickly became known for his surreal, durational videos in which he used strategies he terms “re-imagining, re-narrating, re-writing, and re-connecting.”
