Artist Statement

Motivation

My Chinese grandfather (and role model) was an accomplished Chinese painter, poet, and calligrapher. I knew he was respected by many in the local community as an educator and advocate, but I had no idea the extent of his admiration until his death. The funeral home overflowed with so many floral wreaths from local orgs that I was worried we would have to start turning them away. If I can cherish and nurture even a fraction of my own community as he did, I will consider my life’s mission accomplished. 

Appreciation motivates my volunteer work, it also drives many of my paintings. Sunshine is a portrait of the light which illuminates the studio– my joy and muse, my wife. This work brims with optimism as light and nature spill into the studio via the subject’s kimono. On the opposite end, Missing portrays a tragic form of appreciation, grieving over my grandfather. Here I use pouring tea into an empty hand as a gesture of sad yearning for rituals past. 

Artistic Influences

My aesthetics largely follow traditional realist works, heavily influenced by my training at ARA Boston (an atelier modeled after 19th century French Academies). Among portraits, landscapes, and still life paintings, most of my paintings are inspired by the desire to share a strong emotion with viewers. Representationalism is my preferred mode of visual communication since I desire to depict truth. I pour intimate feelings and contemplations into each piece with the earnest objective to be understood. Don’t we all have that desire?