Appearance: New Works by Jianjun An

PENDULUM GALLERY, VANCOUVER BC - August 20 - September 8 2018
By Michael Turner
Born in Gansu, China, Jianjun An graduated from the Shan Dong University of Art & Design in 1988, after which he worked as an architectural designer. In 2005 he immigrated to Canada, and the following year opened his New Primary Colours Art Studio, where he teaches art and oil painting. An active participant in community-based cultural organizations, An’s memberships include the arts councils of White Rock and Delta and the Vancouver Chinese Arts Council, where he has taken part in two exhibitions.
Although he received a traditional education in Chinese painting under the tutelage of Ding Zhang, An was increasingly drawn to Western art, which he appreciates for its ever-changing nature. In his artist statement, he writes: “In my artworks, the curved line, the large surfaces of colour and the form of forgotten memories are like the locus of my life: blurred, complex,
chaos, constantly searching out pure feelings in the complex – all allow memories to return to life, the image to be full of tension, the colours to be full and vibrant.”
For An, these tensions and colours can be found in a range of expressive figurative works, from a melting female karaoke singer to a faceless young man running with dogs. “The artworks that I have done in these past few years are all derived from my daily life. It might have been the coffee shop that is close to home, a person that I miss dearly, a trip to somewhere, the grass in my community, my neighbours who are exercising and many others.”
pendulumgallery.bc.ca