Born in 1968 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Shen studied traditional Chinese painting as a child and later printmaking at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. He graduated in 1989 and participated in the China/Avant-garde Exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, a seminal event that propelled the '85 New Wave Movement to its peak by showcasing important works from China's first generation of contemporary artists. In 1992, Shen also participated in the first Guangzhou Biennale Art Fair, where he received an award.

Described as one of the neo-expressionist artists influenced by senior artists from Southwest China, such as Zhang Xiaogang and Zhou Chunya, Shen gained recognition for works like Three Tea Drinkers, The Lost Sky, Home—The Forgotten Memory, and The Red Series, all created in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Over the last three decades, the Chinese contemporary art market has flourished, with many of Shen's contemporaries gaining international acclaim, largely due to movements like "political pop" and "cynical realism". However, Shen has maintained a reserved, even detached stance towards the art world. He lived in the United States from 1998 to 2008.

"The paintings I created in my younger years were mostly driven by emotions, whereas my more recent canvases may appear calm and peaceful, reflecting my current state of mind," Shen explained.