
When I was young, I learned some basic drawing techniques from a neighborhood artist. Little did I know that the short time I spent then would be the start of my circuitous art journey. After graduating college in China, I packed my bags and moved to the States to pursue the American dream. I’ve been working as an IT professional for the most of my career to make ends meet, however my passion for art has been my escape to a better world. In 2015, I finally picked up brushes and decided to pursue my childhood passion in art.
In the past few years, I studied realism painting from Max Ginsburg and a few other renowned artists. Their works have become my inspiration, along with other painters such as Rembrandt, Sargent, Schmid and etc. Slowly but surely, painting has now become a large part of my life. I think about painting all the time now to the point where it sometimes even occurs in my dreams. When I close my eyes, I can picture everything I want to express on the canvas. Portraits have been my favorite genre because I enjoy the challenge of capturing the essence of my models and illustrating their subtle emotions. I believe the human face holds the key into our lives— if we are patient enough to observe and listen, we can understand each person’s stories. After long hours into painting sessions, I feel like I can see myself in the models and feel what they are feeling. Besides portraits, I have also explored landscapes and love painting the scenery around me.
My passion for art goes beyond painting as well. I am also a Chinese folk dancer and perform with a team for cultural celebrations. Therefore, dancers and their elegance are a major theme in my artwork. Through years of practice in both painting and dancing, I found many similarities in these two art forms, including the rhythm and flow of movement, shifting moods, and various colors, shapes, and proportions— I finally found a way to hold a brush and dance at the same time. With every brush stroke into the late hours of the night, I aim to depict my perspective of truth and beauty in the world and hope to share all things I found inspiring with you.
Professional Affiliations:
Salmagundi Club (Artist Member)
Oil Painter of America
Portrait Society of America
American Artists Professional League
Allied Artists of America
Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club
Exhibitions and Awards
American Artists d Professional League 94th Grand National Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NYC
Audubon Artists’ Annual Exhibition 2022
Honorary Carmine F. Palermo Memorial Award in Oils & Acrylics
PleinAir Magazine’s 12th Annual Pleinair Salon Art Competition, TOP 100 FINALIST
Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Arts Club 125th Anniversary Members Juried Exhibition
2022 Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition at Indianapolis, IN
2022 New York Figurative Show, Salmagundi Club, NYC
Ellarslie Open 39 – Trenton City Museum
Installation Award
2021 Allied Artists of America 108th Annual Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NYC
Audubon Artists 79th Annual Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NYC
Gambling Colors Artist Merchandise Award
Oil Painters of America Online Showcase – Fall 2021
A Return to Art Exhibition, Montgomery Arts Council, Princeton, NJ
Into the Wild 2021 Online Exhibition, Camelback Gallery
Silver Award
Paint My Pet 2021 Online Exhibition, Camelback Gallery
Bronze Award
Figurative 2021 Exhibition, Camelback Gallery
Bronze Award