Born in Taichung, Taiwan in 1976
Now lives and works in Taipei
 
Chia-En Jao received his bachelor's degree in fine arts from the Taipei National University of the Arts (2000), before he graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts in Paris (2004). Jao studied at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he received his master's degree in fine arts (2007), and attended a residency program in Paris in 2007.
 
Jao’s project-based practice stretches across different mediums, including drawing, performance, site-specific installation, and multichannel video installation. His international experience informs his perspective on the particular conditions of Taiwan’s political, economical, and social situation. His practice — deeply rooted in his local surroundings — has more recently delved into colonial histories and the cross-cultural tensions in the Asia Pacific region. His anthropological and collaborative approach has led him to work with civilian protestors, taxi drivers, and immigrant workers from Southeast Asian countries. For Jao, these personal encounters have generated intriguing and valuable interpretations of history that subtly subvert and question the established, official versions produced by the nation-state and media.
 
Jao has exhibited at prominent international institutions, including Unfolding Acts: New Art From Taipei and Perth, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth, Australia (2019); Tales of Our Time, Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, U.S. (2016); Parasite, Hong Kong, China (2016); Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany (2015); National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan (2013); QAGOMA, Brisbane, Australia (2012); MOCA Shanghai, Shanghai, China (2012); Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan (2012); Museo di Arte Contemporanea di Villa Croce, Genoa, Italy (2011); and Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary (2010). The artist has also participated in notable exhibitions, including the 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (2012), Shanghai Biennale (2012), and Taipei Biennial (2012, 2010).