Chen Man

Born in Beijing in 1980, Chen Man grew up after the Cultural Revolution and was part of the generation of the Chinese one-child policy.{{Cite web|url=https://i-d.co/article/chen-man/|title=chen man, the chinese princess of fashion photography {{!}} read|access-date=26 June 2016|archive-date=18 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918102440/https://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/article/chen-man|url-status=live}} Chen attended the Central Academy of Fine Arts and graduated in 2005,{{Cite web|url=http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2014/12/chen-man-chinas-hippest-photographer/|title=Chen Man: China's Hippest Photographer {{!}} The World Of Chinese|website=www.theworldofchinese.com|access-date=26 June 2016|archive-date=25 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180925123423/http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2014/12/chen-man-chinas-hippest-photographer/|url-status=dead}} where she studied graphic design.

At the age of 23, she published her self-styled photography as covers for Chinese art magazine VISION, bringing her immediate prominence for the first time as a student. Her early style includes extensive use of digital tools such as Photoshop and 3D Max to create an extravagant visual experience.

Man is also known for her hyper-realistic pop portraits like her 2012 "Whatever the Weather" covers. The series features an unsigned model and Tibetan teenagers from the Tibetan High School, an ethnic college. Man wanted to capture the "50 to 60 ethnic groups" that represent the beauty in China in her 12 photograph series for i-D. The issue was praised as both creative and forward thinking especially for her age.

Not only has Man mastered cameras and computers, she has also mastered the seamless blend of her modern aesthetics with traditional Chinese culture into her work. This has led to people praising Man for assisting the evolution of China's aesthetics and redefining Chinese beauty.{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/chen-man?collections=6&nationalities=44&order=alphabetical&offset=2|title=Chen Man {{!}} #BoF500 {{!}} The Business of Fashion|access-date=26 June 2016}}

To Man there are two ways of defining beauty and she finds "both sides of the coin beautiful. She believes in genuine beauty, "what feels real whether it's an emotion, an image, a person or an artwork" and technological beauty, like the beauty of phones and computers. With the tendency to look abroad for inspiration, Man is hoping that her work will encourage people to rethink beauty and start looking "to China for inspiration."

In addition to producing covers for VISION magazine, Chen also does fashion photography for Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, i-D, Cosmopolitan, and Esquire.

She frequently works with makeup artist Toni Lee.[http://www.artphotoexpo.com/photographer.php?id=39 "Chen Man: The Beijing girl who wants to bring modernism into her country"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820032824/http://artphotoexpo.com/photographer.php?id=39 |date=20 August 2013 }}, Art Photo Expo. Retrieved 31 March 2013.

Her own studio, Studio 6, based in Beijing, is producing advertising campaigns for brands such as L'Oréal, MAC, Dior, Canon, Guess, Hublot, Carl F. Bucherer, Sharp, Beats, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Motorola, Adidas, Puma, Converse, Uniqlo, Budweiser, Absolut Vodka, Shiseido, Maybelline etc.

Chen Man is married to American-born Raphael Ming Cooper, cofounder of Society Skateboards. She has two children.

Chen's work has been widely exhibited:[http://www.artaban.com/artists/chen-man?language=en "Chen Man: Biography"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131130120431/http://www.artaban.com/artists/chen-man?language=en |date=30 November 2013 }}, Artaban. Retrieved 31 March 2013.

• 2004: Out of the Window Space of Distraction, Tokyo
• 2005: Fashion and style in photography, Moscow
• 2006: Wave Chinese media Art, 1997–2004, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
• 2007: Galerie Loft, Paris
• 2008: Galerie Maeght, Paris
• 2008: China Design, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
• 2010: Red Beauty, Fabien Fryns Fine Art, Los Angeles[http://www.artinasia.com/galleryDetail.php?view=7&catID=9999&galleryID=1636&eventID=3816 Chen Man], Art in Asia. Retrieved 22 July 2014.[http://www.fabienfryns.com/exhibition/view/32/ Red Beauty at Fabien Fryns Fine Art] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726190024/http://www.fabienfryns.com/exhibition/view/32/ |date=26 July 2014 }}. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
• 2010: Unbearable Beauty, Ooi Botos Gallery, Hong Kong[http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=36733&int_modo=2 "Chen Man, China's Celebrated Avant-Garde Photographer, in Her First Hong Kong Show"], Artdaily.org. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
• 2011: Today Art Museum, Beijing{{Cite web |url=http://avaxnews.net/appealing/Chen_Man_Photography_Exhibition_In_Beijing.html |title="Chen Man Photography Exhibition In Beijing", AvaxNews. Retrieved 31 March 2013. |access-date=31 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121217064750/http://avaxnews.net/appealing/Chen_Man_Photography_Exhibition_In_Beijing.html |archive-date=17 December 2012 |url-status=dead }}
• 2012: Chinese Art Centre, Manchester, UK[http://culture360.org/event/manchester-chen-man-exhibition/ "Manchester: Chen Man exhibition"], Culture360.org. Retrieved 31 March 2013.[http://archive.cfcca.org.uk/index.php/Detail/occurrences/465 "Chen Man touring exhibition, 9 February – 7 April 2012"], CFCCA Archive and Library. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
• 2012: Glamorous Futurist by Chen Man Exhibition, Diesel Art Gallery, Tokyo
• 2013: Artist Special Project, Como Hotel, Bangkok
• 2013: Proud of Dignity 2012, Lady Dior Exhibition, Paris
• 2013: Galerie Steph+Four Season Hotel Exhibition, Four Season Hotel, Singapore
• 2014: A New Attitude: Chen Man's Provocative Interpretations of Contemporary Chinese Women Exhibition, RedLine Art Center, Denver

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.chenmaner.com Chen Man's website]
• [http://weibo.com/chenmaner Chen Man on Weibo]
• [https://www.facebook.com/chenmaner3 Chen Man on Facebook]
• [https://twitter.com/Chenmaner Chen Man on Twitter]
• [http://www.fabienfryns.com/artist/45/ Chen Man's Artwork on Fabien Fryns Fine Art] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030422/http://www.fabienfryns.com/artist/45/ |date=4 March 2016 }}
• [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/fashion/meet-chen-man-the-chinese-annie-leibovitz.html Chen Man's interview with New York Times]
• [http://www.luxury-insider.com/features/2012/interview-chen-man Chen Man's interview with Luxury Insider]

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Category:21st-century Chinese photographers

Category:1980 births

Category:Chinese women photographers

Category:Artists from Beijing

Category:Fashion photographers

Category:Central Academy of Fine Arts alumni

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Chinese women artists