Susan Chen is a New York-based painter whose practice examines identity, representation, and belonging through vibrant portraiture. Known for her thickly impastoed oil paintings depicting Asian American communities, she explores questions of visibility, cultural nuance, and collective care. Her work draws from lived experience and sociopolitical observation, addressing the complexities of diaspora with humor, empathy, and candor, merging intimate portraiture with broader social critique.
Chen has exhibited extensively including at Brooklyn Museum, New York; Rachel Uffner Gallery, New York; Jeffrey Deitch, New York; and the Aldrich Museum, Connecticut. She has received awards including Creative Capital Foundation, Artsy Vanguard, Hopper Prize, and AXA Art Prize. Her work is held in major collections including Brooklyn Museum, Columbus Museum of Art, LACMA, and the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection. THAT Co. featured Chen in 2021.