Shen Chen’s fully abstract paintings demonstrate a study of brushstroke, color, and tonality with a contemporary language. To create his subtle surfaces, Shen paints with a wide variety of traditional Chinese brushes. He layers the surface by moving progressively from top to bottom, in a vertical motion, on his studio floor. The discrete horizontal lines visible on the surface are a record of where each vertical brushstroke began and stopped. It is this meticulous layering of color that achieves the resonant tonal hues of his paintings. His mark-making also represents time, each stroke a kind of beat, introducing a space-time dimension into the work.