”In our age of computers and communication,
not only do we need hardware and software,
but also soul-ware, S. O. U. L. ware.”
— Dr. T.F. Chen, United Nations
Award Speech, NYC 2001
About Dr. T.F. Chen
Dr. T.F. Chen is a master artist with historical vision and cultural mission, who has dedicated his life to creating artwork that reflects the achievements of our humanity and inspires worldwide cultural harmony and progress.
Dr. Chen is also a painter, art historian, writer, philosopher, visionary, and founder of the T.F. Chen Arts for Humanity Foundation as well as his own Cultural Center in SoHo, NYC. In 2001, he was honored with the Global Tolerance Award from the Friends of the United Nations and designated a Cultural Ambassador for Tolerance and Peace, for his lifetime of work dedicated to peace and for his art of multi-culturalism. Dr. Chen’s “Arts for Humanity World Tour 2005-2010” travels the world promoting Art Education and a Global Culture of Peace.
Renowned for his artistic style, philosophical vision, and honorable character, Dr. Chen is a true Renaissance man who embodies the merging of Western and Eastern Cultures. Born in Taiwan, Chen was awarded a scholarship from the French govern-ment to study in Paris. He lived there for twelve years, earning his M.A. in French Contemporary Literature and Ph.D in Art History from La Sorbonne, while simultaneously studying painting at L’École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts for seven years. In 1969, Dr. Chen established “Five-Dimensional World Culture” in theory and initiated his signature style of “Neo-Iconography” in art.
Recognized as “one of the 20 most influential artists in the world today” (Art Critic, Dr. Thomas McEvilley), Dr. Chen has conducted more than 200 one-man exhibitions worldwide. He has published over 22 books in English, Chinese and French regarding his art and theories; and is frequently invited to lecture and exhibit around the globe. Chen has created over 3,000 artworks, which have been featured in over 300 textbooks (including art history textbooks such as Arts & Ideas) and countless other media, and are collected widely both privately and publicly. In 2007-2008, Dr. Chen focused his exhibitions in China, created his “Temple of Heaven Series” and his “Salute to the Beijing Olympics Series” while also publishing the book, Dr. T.F. Chen’s Art & the Olympics. Now in his 70s, Dr. Chen continues his mission of utilizing art as a vehicle for advancing a Global New Renaissance in Love and a Culture of Peace.