Rory Mencin is an art critic, curator, and co-founder of Idea Production Factory (IPF), an arts agency based in Chengdu, China. Since 2018, he has planned over 12 exhibitions across China and organized over 7 public engagement projects with a range of public and private institutions, including the Polish Consulate, the University of Manchester, the German Consulate, and more. With a focus on Chinese art post Reform and Opening Up (late 1970s onward), Rory is committed to making more contributions to the international promotion of Asian artists abroad, and advocates for the inclusion of more Asian artists into the international art cannon. In partnership with Wave-i in Korea, Rory served as chief curator for “And the Beat Goes On” at May Park Gallery in Chengdu (2020) and OneEast Gallery in Shanghai (2021). In total, the exhibition features over 96 works of art by 35 artists, including 68 original pieces from New York City’s East Village Scene and 24 works by artists mostly local to Chengdu and Shanghai. In addition to curation, he has also contributed several essays and long-form articles for publications such as “Neocha” in Shanghai, the “World of Chinese” in Beijing, and served as chief editor of three 3 books on art and curation, including the most recent ethnographic graffiti style guide titled “Written on the Walls” by French-born-China-based artist Paul Dezio, slated to be published in late 2024. He currently serves as Global Arts Director for Orangehare.io, a fine-arts IP platform on web3.

Concentration: History, Society, and Culture

Hometown: Cleveland, OH

Academic Background: B.A. English & Sociology, DePaul University