Born in Fujian, China. Chen lost his hearing at an early age but this did not handicap his artistic abilities. On the contrary, he managed to focus on his art and has come to be known, fittingly, as a "complete artist". Chen left China for Taiwan in 1948 and has participated in various artistic circles such as Fifth Moon, the Modern Graphic Art Association and the Modern Eyes Group. He often exhibited as part of the Salon de Mai, on top of regular solo shows. In 1970, Chen was awarded the first prize at the First International Biennial Exhibition of Prints in Seoul. Chen's lithographs, iron sculptures, calligraphy and acrylic paintings are influenced by the Chinese literati's school of thought and have left a lasting impression on 20th-century Chinese modern art. His works found in major museums like the Rockefeller Foundation, the Cincinnati Museum, and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. They have also been collected by corporate institutions such as the Chase Manhattan Bank (Hong Kong), the Citibank and IBM.