Chen Jialing was born in Hangzhou, China, in 1937. In 1963, he graduated from the Department of Chinese Painting at Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou), where he studied under Pan Tianshou (1897-1971). From the 1970s onward, he continued his studies in landscape painting and calligraphy under Lu Yanshao (1909-1993). From 1963 to 1983, he taught at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, and from 1983 onward, he served as a professor at Shanghai University Academy of Fine Arts. He currently lives and works in Shanghai, where he is a professor at Shanghai University Academy of Fine Arts and a research fellow at China National Academy of Painting in Beijing.
His major honours include the Silver Award at the 7th National Art Exhibition in 1989. In 2014-2015, his documentary Chen Jialing received three Best Documentary awards, including at the Rome International Film Festival, and he was also presented with the Cultural Ambassador Award by the Hawaii International Film Festival. In 2018, the Chen Jialing Art Museum was established at Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple.
His works have been exhibited in more than 20 countries and regions, including the US, Germany, and Japan. From 2007 to 2017, major solo exhibitions were held at institutions such as Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy and National Museum of China in Beijing. In 2016, his works were used as backdrop paintings for the G20 Summit and for state banquets at the West Lake State Guest House. In 2024, he presented the exhibition A Life by the River: The Art of Chen Jialing at Réfectoire des Cordeliers in Paris, featuring painted porcelain works of the Iris, the national flower of France, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. In the same year, the bilingual publication Aspiring Ever Higher: The Artistic Life of Chen Jialing was released, documenting his artistic career. The latest solo exhibition Vast Impressions: Chen Jialing's Art was held at the First Bay of Pujiang in Shanghai until the end of June 2026.
Alisan Fine Arts has represented Chen Jialing’s lotus paintings since the 1980s, presenting his work in landmark group exhibitions such as A State of Transition: Contemporary Painting from Shanghai in 1987 and Landscapes, Figures, Flowers & Birds: Variation from China in 1990. In 2026, Alisan celebrates its 45th anniversary with the exhibition series "Then and Now," featuring the group exhibition Tradition Renewed showcasing Chen's recent works.
Chen’s paintings are in the collection of Cernuschi Museum, Paris, France; National Art Museum of China, Beijing; National Museum of China, Beijing; Zhejiang Art Museum, Hangzhou; Chen Jialing Art Museum of Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai, to name a few.
