Born in 1962 in Shantou, Guangdong Province, Chen Shaoxiong graduated from the print department of the Guangzhou Fine Art Academy in 1984. He lives and works in Guangzhou. Chen Shaoxiong's work has been featured in all the key contemporary Chinese art exhibitions, from the groundbreaking exhibition InsideOut at the PS1, New York in 1998 to Follow me! Chinese Art at the Treshold of the new Millenium at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo in 2005 to the last Guangzhou Triennial at the Guangdong Museum of Art in autumn 2005.

Chen's work was recently shown at China Power Station: Part 1, an off-site Serpenite Gallery exhibition of contemporary Chinese video, sound and installation art co-produced by The Red Mansion Foundation at Battersea Power Station.