ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Ching Ho Cheng's 2008 Retrospective at Shepherd & Derom Galleries Showcases His Technical Mastery

exhibition · 2026-04-22

From September 25 to November 15, 2008, a retrospective of Ching Ho Cheng's artistry was held at Shepherd & Derom Galleries, located at 58 East 79th Street in New York City. The exhibition highlighted Cheng's artistic journey, showcasing his transition from psychedelic paintings of the 1960s to gouache studies, collages, and oxidized metal artworks. A standout piece was Untitled from the "Window" series (1982), measuring 30 by 40 inches and created with gouache on rag board. Born in Cuba in 1946, Cheng relocated to New York at age five, attended Cooper Union, and mingled with personalities like Debbie Harry and Bette Midler. His significant works included The Certainty of Blue IX (1984) and an untitled triptych from 1988. Cheng passed away from AIDS in the late 1980s, earning critical acclaim for his work.

Key facts

  • Ching Ho Cheng's retrospective ran from September 25th to November 15th, 2008
  • The exhibition was held at Shepherd & Derom Galleries at 58 East 79th Street in New York City
  • Cheng was born in 1946 in Cuba and moved to New York at age five
  • He studied painting and sculpture at Cooper Union
  • Cheng lived at the Chelsea Hotel and socialized at Max's Kansas City
  • His early work included psychedelic paintings in the 1960s
  • He died from AIDS at the end of the 1980s
  • Leanne Zalewski wrote an essay about Cheng's torn-paper collages

Entities

Artists

  • Ching Ho Cheng
  • Debbie Harry
  • Bette Midler
  • Leanne Zalewski

Institutions

  • Shepherd & Derom Galleries
  • Cooper Union
  • Chelsea Hotel
  • Max's Kansas City
  • artcritical

Locations

  • New York City
  • United States
  • Cuba
  • Kew Gardens
  • Queens
  • Europe

Sources