Deng Dafei 邓大非

Deng Dafei, based in Beijing, is a renowned young Chinese artist and curator. He graduated from the China Academy of Art. Known for his diverse artistic expressions, Deng’s artistic journey spans from early video works that use the body as a medium to the project-based art practices of the Utopia Group, and now, to his latest collection that encompasses various forms, including live performances, temporary landscapes, and stone printing. 

Deng’s artistic notion is marked by traces, wilderness, freedom, and hybridity. His works embody an introspective temperament, using experimental artistic language to aid the contemplation of social issues. Faced with an increasingly powerful, entertaining, and media-driven reality, his works exhibit an extreme form of individual expression.

Deng Dafei initiated the independent project Plans of Ruin: Savage Regeneration in 2014, comprising two series: stone carvings and rubbings, along with the video work Dark Utopia II: Flame Poetry. He has collaborated on various art projects, including the year-long Family Art Museum and British Missionary – Memory Palace of Lyceum. Deng’s engagement in both local and international art scenes reflects his appreciation for the incidental impact of art events on society. Deng is also a curator of the 798 Art Festival.