Super star of Chinese photography will make her first appearance in Japan at DIESEL ART GALLERY! CHENMAN is an exceptional photographer of new generation that many of celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Faye Wong and Gong Li desired to be taken by her. Her debut in Japan is a must see.

Concept

Soon after making a sensational debut in her early 20s and having rocked all over China with her unprecedented style, CHENMAN started her career in Paris and London, with her brilliant works striking everyone and also her presence as an artist. CHENMAN perpetually pursues her “excessively” perfect expressions created through her unique and strong eye for beauty. She breaks through the genre or photographs and present space-time to declare proudly the glamorous future of art.

About the Artist

CHENMAN was born in 1980 in Inner Mongolia, grew up in Beijing, and studied at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, major in graphic design and photography. In addition to her natural talent for drawing/painting, CHENMAN acquired the skill of Photography, or “extended function of painting”, that led to create her own “visual language.” The series of cover artworks for fashion magazine in Shanghai “VISION” she produced while she was a student in 2003, was acclaimed as the most unique cover image in Chinese magazine history, and she got a flood of shooting offers from celebrities. She became a leading figure of “80hou(balinghou)”*, who made ”Chinese dream” comes true in her early 20s.

* 80hou(balinghou): Chinese people born after 1980s, so-called ‘one-child policy generation’; are identified as influential existence who can change even Chinese industrial structure.

CHENMAN contributes to a number of magazines such as VISION, Vogue, ELLE, Harper’s BAZAAR, Marie Claire, COSMOPOLITAN, Esquire (all published in China), NYLON, SPOT & STREET (UK). Her works has been in the collection of museums including Victoria and Albert Museum (London), and Today Art Museum (Beijing). Following to her retrospective show at MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) Shanghai in November, 2011, solo exhibition will be held at Chinese Arts Centre in London in February, 2012.

About the Curator ASHU

Established in 2008 by the writer and coordinator Taka Nakanishi and the editor Daisuke Nakanishi. ASHU has been keen to introduce Asian artists toward Japan and also Japanese artists toward other Asian countries, as well as considers our base Japan as the cultural hub in Asia to develop a variety of projects collaborating with artists around the world. Produced in 2010 the exhibitions of Yuji Kimura and GROOVISIONS, collaborative exhibitions between Keiichi Tanaami and :phunk (all held in Singapore), and solo exhibition of :phunk “WELCOME TO ELECTRICITY” at DIESEL DENIM GALLERY (Aoyama, Tokyo). Also in 2011, produced the exhibition of Spike Jonze “THERE ARE MANY OF US - I’M HERE”, MOGOLLON“SOMETHING IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN” both held at DIESEL ART GALLERY (Shibuya, Tokyo), and the collaborative exhibition of Aya Shindo & Harry C. “Dark Beauty – The Dream of a Queen” (Hong Kong). Now engaged in the production and management of various artists including :phunk, Theseus Chan & WORK (Singapore), Michael Punchman, Stella So, Tak, Chihoi (Hong Kong), Mogollon (USA), Aya Shindo (Japan).