| Ping Chen (b. 2002, China) is a London-based artist and fashion designer working across experimental fashion, wearable art, and textile art. His practice investigates the relationships between the body, identity, memory, and material culture. Rooted in personal experience and cultural reflection, Ping approaches clothing not merely as wearable objects, but as material structures and cultural media through which identities can be embodied, negotiated, and remembered. His practice draws upon cultural heritage, masculinity, care, and family memory, examining how garments can express and challenge the social and cultural structures that shape individual and collective identities. Combining traditional tailoring with weaving, knitting, digital textile processes, and hand construction, he creates works that blur the boundaries between garments, textile objects, and sculptural forms. Through material experimentation, structural transformation, and embodied exploration, his work brings personal histories into dialogue with broader cultural narratives, positioning fashion as a medium for artistic expression, critical inquiry, and cultural dialogue. | |
Education
MA Design: Expanded Practice (Fashions & Embodiment)
London, UK
Sept 2026 – Dec 2027
Sept 2026 – Dec 2027
| Goldsmiths, University of London, UK |
| BA (Hons) Design, First Class Honours (77/100) |
London, UK
Sept 2022 - Jul 2025
Sept 2022 - Jul 2025
| International Preparation for Fashion, Distinction |
London, UK
Sept 2021 - Jul 2022
Sept 2021 - Jul 2022
Exhibitions
Group Exhibition New Fashion Narratives featuring Thing in Itself at Bureau Europa.
Maastricht, Netherlands
13 Nov – 15 Nov 2026
13 Nov – 15 Nov 2026
Group Exhibition Stories Through Design featuring Thing in Itself at De Lichttoren, curated by Studio Samayam.
Eindhoven, Netherlands
17 Oct – 25 Oct 2026
17 Oct – 25 Oct 2026
Group Exhibition ND Selects 2026 featuring Thing in Itself at Kachette, curated by New Designers as part of London Design Festival 2026.
London, UK
15 Sept – 17 Sept 2026
15 Sept – 17 Sept 2026
Group Exhibition Soft Resistance featuring Thing in Itself at Margate Queer Library & Archive.
Margate, UK
31 Jul – 28 Agu 2026
31 Jul – 28 Agu 2026
Participatory live performance and installation Future Visa Centre, featuring Thing in Itself as a performance costume at 1B Window Gallery, curated by Dongting Huang and hosted by Applied Live Art Studio (ALAS).
London, UK
29 Jul 2026
29 Jul 2026
Solo Exhibition showcasing Thing in Itself, curated by Selvedge Magazine at Constance Howard Gallery.
London, UK
26 Sept – 31 Oct 2025
26 Sept – 31 Oct 2025
Group Exhibition No One Has Taught Me This featuring Thing in Itself at Blackdot Gallery.
London, UK
19 Sept – 21 Sept 2025
19 Sept – 21 Sept 2025
Group Exhibition Goldsmiths BA Design Graduate Showcase 2025 featuring Thing in Itself at Shoreditch Design Triangle, as part of London Design Festival 2025.
London, UK
19 Jun – 23 Jun 2025
19 Jun – 23 Jun 2025
Group Exhibition The Wild Goose Chase to Catch a Flying Fish featuring Thing in Itself at Copeland Gallery.
London, UK
19 Jun – 23 Jun 2025
19 Jun – 23 Jun 2025
Group Touring Exhibition A Drop of Water featuring 水·生命·和谐 / Water · Life · Harmony at Today Art Museum (Beijing, CN) / Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (New York, US) / Columbia Global Centres (New York, US / Paris, FR / Nairobi, KE / Rio, BR).
Beijing, China
New York, US
Paris, France
Nairobi, Kenya
Rio, Brazil
Aug 2019 – Jan 2020
New York, US
Paris, France
Nairobi, Kenya
Rio, Brazil
Aug 2019 – Jan 2020
Runways
Featuring Thing in Itself.
Milan, Italy
21 Oct 2026
21 Oct 2026
Featuring Thing in Itself.
Shanghai, China
02 Aug 2025
02 Aug 2025
| Noir Show 2023 |
| Featuring Cageling. |
London, UK
16 Jun 2023
16 Jun 2023
| AW21/22 Shenzhen Fashion Week |
| Featuring selected looks from The Cure, Faded Memory, and Love Pulse. |
Shenzhen, China
16 Apr 2021
16 Apr 2021
Awards
Shortlisted for the Culture Award for Thing in Itself.
UK
Sept 2026
Sept 2026
Finalist for Thing in Itself.
Italy
Aug 2026
Aug 2026
UK
Jul 2026
Jul 2026
| International Design Awards (IDA) 2025 |
| Bronze Award in Other Fashion Designs / Cultural & Traditional Costumes for Thing in Itself |
USA
Dec 2025
Dec 2025
| Christine Risley Award 2025 |
| Sole Winner for Thing in Itself, recognised by Goldsmiths Textile Collection & Constance Howard Gallery |
UK
Jun 2025
Jun 2025
Press & Publications
| The Vanilla Issue |
| Thing in Itself featured in the online article This Designer Rebuilt the Suit to Show That Masculinity Can Be Soft, written by Stephanie Fang. |
Australia
22 Oct 2025
22 Oct 2025
| The Leopard |
| Thing in Itself featured in the printed article written by Smyra Arora, published in Issue 39 of The Leopard, Goldsmiths’ student-run newspaper. |
UK
18 Oct 2025
18 Oct 2025
| Blackdot Gallery |
| Artist interview and review on Thing in Itself by Sara Chyan, pp. 110–120. |
UK
19 Sept 2025
19 Sept 2025
| HORIZONT Magazine |
| The Cure featured under the title Dream Girl, published in HORIZONT Magazine, Vol. 4, Issue 24, pp. 4–9. |
USA
17 Aug 2021
17 Aug 2021
Professional Memberships
| PRISM Textile - Member |
London, UK
Sept 2026 – Present
Sept 2026 – Present
Professional Experiences
| ASICS |
| Sales Assistant - Part-time |
London, UK
Sept 2023 – Oct 2025
Sept 2023 – Oct 2025
| Endo Peri Ltd. |
| Design Assistant - Intern |
London, UK
Jun 2024 – Sept 2024
Jun 2024 – Sept 2024
| Goldsmiths x Es Devlin Studio |
| Project Collaborator & Designer |
London, UK
Jan 2024 – Mar 2024
Jan 2024 – Mar 2024
| P-affect Studio |
| Co-founder & Lead Designer |
Guangzhou, China
Dec 2019 – Jun 2021
Dec 2019 – Jun 2021
| Guangzhou High School Business Association |
| Design Director |
Guangzhou, China
Mar 2020 - Jul 2020
Mar 2020 - Jul 2020