National Stone and Chinese Arts Asian Heritage Week Exhibit Item (B)
Art Works of Tin Yan Chan
Tinyan CHAN (SFCA)
John Chan
Chairman of the International Study and Research Arts Center
Tin Yan Chan’s reputation is well known in the art community of Vancouver. He is not only a special signature artist of mainstream art galleries, his oil paintings and water colour works are very popular among Europeans and Americans collectors, with high sales price. He is also the only Asian artist who has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Federation of Canadian Artists. In the past, art appreciators have focused on his Western paintings, mostly colourful floral display, garden scenes and romantic snowscapes. However, Tin Yan Chan is actually a genuine Chinese painter; his Western paintings are mainly for satisfying the market demand, while Chinese painting has been his unceasing pursuit towards the perfect art form of his dreams He is passionate on Chinese painting and strives for perfection in his creations. His Chinese paintings have always been privately collected and only shared with a few close friends. Recently, one of his Chinese paintings was successfully sold at the highest estimated price at Christie’s Hong Kong international auction house, indicating their hidden potential in the market. The beauty of Tin Yan Chan’s Chinese painting can be summarized as: “Following One’s Heart”, which is the highest state of creativity for an artist. To describe it simply, it includes the “state of mind”, which refers to the painter’s concentration, sincerity and dedication to his works. The personality of the artist, deeply influences the depth of the painting; Tin Yan Chan’s innocence and meticulousness, romance and adherence to righteousness are the source of creativity and driving force behind his paintings. His temperament, which is mellow, willing to share, and maintains a normal state of mind, making his paintings really touching. Finally, concerning the techniques, his Chinese painting and calligraphy have the shadow of Chinese classical scholars works, combined with the arrogance of Western artist Henri Matisse, the lines and formats of Russian master artist IIya Repin, and the powerful strokes of Chinese calligraphy, his paintings can be seen to have the silhouette of “dots, lines, and planes” of Wu Guanzhong; as well as the focus, wetness, thickness, and lightness of Huang Binhong – sometimes being wild and bold and sometimes gentle, bringing out a different style of elegance and atmosphere, with a strong personal character. An artist’s achievement mainly depends on four factors: environment, innate talent, effort and personality; Tin Yan Chan possesses all of them and have exhibited them well. The works he is going to showcase in this exhibition have never been displayed to the public; and after viewing them, the audience can definitely draw a conclusion as to whether the artist deserve such reputation. Tin Yan Chan’s works are not simply art pieces for viewing; they are collectibles. The difference between art and collectibles is that art is a matter of personal preference, with subjective tastes and feelings, but collectibles are macroscopic, generally acceptable, and can be used as art for preservation and appreciation to be passed along generations. Therefore, in the art market, only a few painters can stand out, and because of my emotional touch on these paintings, I absolutely believe they are rare collectibles.
Kaye Ellensohn
President and Owner of LeKae Galleries , Scottsdale, USA
As Tinyan’s Southern California art dealers, Ed and I spend time with the artist to learn what motivates him to produce such beautiful paintings. When we represent an artist, we want to learn and understand the factors that add to the gift and skill of producing works for Tinyan collectors. We walked with Tinyan through gardens of flowers and ponds, listened as he described what he saw and visited his studio where he put his visions on canvas and paper. It is fascinating to see the gardens and then to observe the transformation from “being there” to “seeing there.”
It’s interesting to interpret how Tinyan must look at the topography of an area when painting a landscape of trees or gardens … painting “the big picture” to looking at a smaller area of that topography and painting a “closer artwork” as in a still life; to an almost “microscopic” view of a few flowers which becomes an abstract, going from totality to singularity in nature. He also uses different techniques of applying the oil to the canvas to give the collector a diversity of looks and feelings. He works in oil, watercolor, Acrylic and Chinese ink media. It takes tremendous skill and control to work from delicate inks on rice paper to using heavy oils on canvas to give the collector variety and choice. His style is both Impressionistic and Abstract.
Tinyan has the ability to assimilate into the life of the people when painting the waterways and villages of France, the Orient or any country he visits. All people hold meaning and fulfillment for Tinyan, and through his ingenious artistry he transfers it to the life of his paintings. He states that British Columbia seasons have a fascination for him. The Artist captures in his landscapes both the roots of Canadian culture and the perfection of nature and its tranquility.
Tinyan is one of Canada’s most renowned artists. He collects his subject matter from all over the world, including his home in Canada, his native China and his wife’s homeland in Thailand. He have traveled to France, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand , USA , Canada. Traveling inspires him to paint. The Artist is gathering new materials and research to prepare for his upcoming exhibitions, to give a freshness to his paintings.
Artists do not become great by chance. Tinyan continually pushes himself to new heights. No matter where he is, sketching, photography and painting are a significant part of his daily life. His dedication and standards have earned him placement as a respected painter in the world. The artist’s subject matter is diversified: landscapes, cityscapes, florals, still lifes, abstracts and Chinese scrolls. His work is described as gentle in subject matter and powerful in color, creating visual excitement and emotion.
When you attend a Tinyan exhibition, it’s easy to understand why the artist has achieved many awards and has been selected to be in public collections in Canada, China, Thailand, France, England, Japan, the United States and ….. His diligence and high standards to his skill as a painter are certainly a benefit to all who collect his work, and has earned him fame and placement throughout the world.
Introduction
Tinyan studied in the Canton Academy of Fine Arts in Guangzhou, China and the prestigious L’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. In 1968, Tinyan immigrated to Canada to start his career as a professional artist. Since the early 1970’s, Tinyan has held more than one hundred one-man shows in many of the major cities of North America. He made his entrance into the mainstream Canadian art society in the late 1970’s by becoming a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists (F.C.A). In 1983, he was the first Chinese artist to be selected by the F.C.A as a Senior Member of the association, thus being granted the title of S.F.C.A. Tinyan won several International Awards and Medals. The extent of his achievements were acknowledged in the year 2011 when he was selected by the F.C.A to be the recipient of the “Lifetime Achievement Award”. This award was presented in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the world of art. Tinyan was the first Asian to receive such a high honour and accomplishment in the 70 years history of the Federation’s establishment since 1941.
Artist Statement
As an artist, I am fortunate to live in this country, Canada, which is full of freedom, opportunities, beauty, and multiculturalism. It is also my second home. In my more than 60 years of artistic career, I deeply appreciate how difficult it is to be an artist and make a living through art. It is a path full of thorns. But my persistence and dedication to art never wavered. Through all the hardships and sacrifices, I have received recognition from both Western and Eastern societies, which only makes me more steadfast in following my own artistic style. Only outstanding personal style and strong artistic works can be welcomed by the world and the international art scene!
In this season of blooming flowers, the International Arts Gallery of “National Stone and Chinese Arts Asian Heritage Week” is being held. It showcases many excellent traditional Chinese cultures such as seals, 四大國石, viewing stones, bonsai, painting, and more. I wish the exhibition a complete success!