Growing up in a village embraced by forests and wildlife, I developed an early fascination with painting. I spent countless hours sketching the natural world—trees, birds, shifting clouds, and a small cabin with smoke curling from its chimney. Though I pursued a different academic path while studying in England, my passion for art was reignited in 1994 after a visit to the Pacific Northwest. Inspired by its landscapes, I relocated to Portland, Oregon, where I began painting and writing as a personal exploration.
A transformative moment in my artistic journey came in 2009 during a painting workshop in Buonconvento, Italy. Immersed in a community of professional artists, I witnessed how the same subject could be interpreted in vastly different ways. This experience deepened my understanding of artistic expression and the words of Picasso: “We learn the rules like professionals so we can break them like artists.” It was then that I fully embraced my creative identity.
My work has since been exhibited internationally, including at the Shanghai Duolun MoMA, the Museum of Fine Arts in Ho Chi Minh City, Ningbo People's Art Museum, Art Nordic in Norway, the Salle Polyvalente in France, Kyungpook National University Art Museum, Daegu Art Museum in Korea, and Avila University in Kansas City, among many others. Each exhibition represents a step in my continuous exploration of visual storytelling, where memory, place, and emotion converge on canvas.
My work merges elements of both Western and Eastern artistic traditions, creating a dialogue between cultures and techniques. I paint using Chinese calligraphy ink, oil, and water, occasionally integrating unconventional materials such as salt, wine, and tea to add texture and depth. My inspiration stems from nature, cultural and societal narratives, cross-disciplinary influences, and the boundless realm of imagination. Each piece reflects a fusion of tradition and innovation, exploring the fluid interplay between materials, meaning, and artistic expression.