Dean-E MEI

1954 Born in Taipei

1985 Master of Fine Arts, Pratt Institute, New York

Professor (retired) of Taiwan University of Arts

Art Institution Collections

Taipei Fine Arts Museum

Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts

National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts

Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan

Awards

2023 National Award for Arts

2018 Wusanlien Award for Arts

2003 Taishin Arts Award- Visual Arts Award

Dean-E MEI is a significant figure in Taiwan's avant-garde art scene, often referred to as the "Father of Taiwanese Dadaism." His diverse artistic practice spans photography, video, installation, and painting. He skillfully collects everyday objects and recontextualizes them, using humor, satire, and irony. Through wordplay and symbolic dialectics, he creates works that challenge tradition and power structures. His art frequently satirizes themes of identity, cultural conflict, international relations, politics, history, and ideology, expressing complex emotions and responding to the intricate socio-political and historical landscape of contemporary society. Since the 1970s, his works have been exhibited in major galleries and museums across Asia, the United States, and Europe. In 2014, his retrospective “WANTED DEAN-E MEI: A Retrospective”at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum further solidified his critical role in Taiwan's contemporary art history.