Chen Liang, born in Baoji, Shaanxi in 1987, currently lives and works in Hangzhou. As a child, he studied calligraphy and the painting of deities under a local temple artist. As an adult, he pursued a degree in Inorganic Non-Metallic Materials Engineering at Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, and later studied at the School of Experimental Art at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the School of Calligraphy at the China Academy of Art, earning a PhD. He is also passionate about theoretical research, folk subcultures, rural art initiatives, and local legends and beliefs. In 2020, he founded the Ritual Popular Theater (CPT). His work is dedicated to uncovering, rediscovering, and reinterpreting the traces and voices that have been lost, unheard, or buried. Since becoming a professional artist in 2012, his work and research have been based on field studies of local knowledge, ancient rituals, the origins of writing, and the traditions of human script. He consistently strives to unearth hidden histories and explore the universality of writing.Inspired by folk rituals, mysticism, and perennial philosophy, Chen often contemplates how to reconstruct fragmented and mixed folk ideas through writing. This approach has led him to work across various mediums, including iconography, document collection, publishing, fieldwork, documentary filmmaking, writing, poetry, theater, calligraphy, and painting, all of which contribute to his complex poetic vision.
