Chando Ao was born in Fengdu, China, a city that was submerged when the Three Gorges Dam was constructed when he was 13. He later moved to Chongqing, China, Sydney, Australia, Boston, and New York. This immigrant experience greatly influenced his perception of the world and his art practice: When language becomes a barrier, seek alternative ways to express; when must leave your hometown, carry it with you always.

Ao's practice navigates between two extremes: his solo endeavors in paintings and a complex, open system, often involving extensive collaborations with the external world through robots, software, unique materials, and everyday goods. This system is designed to engage visitors—inviting them to touch, embrace, climb, and even juggle with the work. These two modes of creation mirror his dual states as an individual: introspectively sensing himself and outwardly conveying a concise, fundamental sensory experience without the aid of language or text.

Now based in New York, Ao graduated from Tufts University + School of Museum of Fine Arts in 2016 and received The Chan Sculpture Award in 2015. He had solo exhibitions with Postmasters Gallery in New York in 2021-2022 and C5CNM in Beijing in 2024. His recent institution exhibitions include the Thoma Foundation (Santa Fe, 2022-2023), TAG Art Museum (Qingdao, 2022), and X Museum Triennial (Beijing, 2019). His solo exhibitions have been covered by Jerry Saltz for New York Magazine and Johanna Fateman for New Yorker; other press includes The Brooklyn Rail, Art Forum, Ocula, Hyperallergic, and more.