Chen Yifei was born in Zhejiang Province in 1946. He graduated from the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts in 1965. Between 1972 and 1979, Chen received numerous commendations in the Beijing and Shanghai National Art Exhibitions. The attention began a string of international exhibitions, among which are included those held in Japan, Germany and France. At this time many major institutions began to collect his works, including the China National Gallery of Art. In 1980, following a move to the United States, he participated in the New York International Art Fair, as well as participating in an exhibition held at the New England Center for Contemporary Arts. During the same year, he also exhibited at the Smith College Art Museum and so it was not long before his reputation spread across America. In the spring of 1982, his large historical paintings “History from My Space” and “Portrait of a Fellow Artist” were exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum. From the same year, Chen has been a regular exhibitor at Boston City Hall as well as having become a regular solo feature at the Hammer Galleries in Washington, New York and Japan since 1983.