23 Nov Ren-Chian Chen Painting Exhibition
A World of Beauty, a Fragrant Wind Among Neighbors — On the Works of Emerging Artist Ren-Chian Chen
Ren-Chian Chen, a native of Kaohsiung, holds a master’s degree from the Graduate Institute of Fine Arts at Chang Jung Christian University. Specializing in meticulous gongbi bird-and-flower painting, she draws inspiration from nature, transferring the vitality of the natural world onto paper—beginning with sketching from life, and evolving into expressive and spiritual depictions. During her time in graduate school, she began to gain recognition for her bougainvillea-themed works. Her delicate brushstrokes captured the peach-pink flowers with translucent coloration, rendering the thin, wing-like petals vividly lifelike.
Bird-and-flower painting has long been a genre enjoyed by both the refined and the general public, whether used as a metaphor or simply to celebrate the beauty of nature. In traditional Chinese painting training, two major approaches often appear: emulating the ancients and sketching from life. Historically, artists tended to focus on one or the other, rarely considering whether classical elegance and faithful representation of natural ecology could coexist. Chen’s works reflect a deep, introspective inquiry into this issue. Growing up in southern Taiwan, she questions why one must fixate on painting peonies or hibiscus. If a plant lacks showy blossoms, does it not deserve to be painted? Her series titled When the Fruits Ripen in the South stems from these contemplations. Carefully observing the world around her, she draws inspiration from everyday life, diligently sketching and taking nature as her teacher. Centered on tropical fruits like sugarcane, bananas, and pineapples, her works layer Taiwan’s native flora and humid air to evoke poetic charm from the familiar. She excels at composing complex, multilayered scenes, thoughtfully constructed without falling into convention, offering a refreshing evolution of traditional gongbi bird-and-flower painting. By manipulating color, ink, and tonal variation, she simplifies densely packed fruit trees into elegant compositions—achieving visual depth through refinement rather than excess. Viewers are not merely shown isolated specimens as in botanical illustrations, but rather immersive scenes that depict the growth of fruits and an atmosphere rich with poetic air.
Though focused on sketching from life to hone her technique, the refined charm in Chen’s works arises from her understanding of classical bird-and-flower painting, which she then reinterprets. The phrase “the truly elegant is also truly popular” aptly describes her approach to traditional floral subjects. For instance, in her work Jade Hall and Prosperity, blooming gardenias (known as jade hall spring) and peonies express the common folk’s aspirations for career success and family wealth. Her paintings reveal not only the lushness of spring and meticulous brush technique, but also the elegance of classical aesthetics through her nuanced ink work and coloring. Her precise, disciplined brushwork encompasses both thread-thin outlines and bold, forceful contours. The variations in brushstroke thickness and pressure not only enhance visual beauty but also express her unique brush rhythm. Like a concerto with balanced leading and supporting parts, her compositions contrast and complement each other to create captivating visual harmony.
What sets Chen apart from traditional bird-and-flower painting, perhaps most directly, is her use of scale. In the past, floral and fruit subjects were often rendered in small, elegant formats suitable for display on desks—charming but not monumental like landscape paintings. Chen breaks from this mold, transforming small works into large-scale pieces with grandeur unprecedented in the genre. Her precise and detailed brushwork retains the sentiment of floral painting while adding a dignified, majestic quality. This distinctive artistic presence attracted the attention of international auction house Sotheby’s Hong Kong, and in 2015, her works entered the international Chinese painting and calligraphy market, drawing the interest of collectors. From November 26, 2016 to January 25, 2017, Daguan Gallery will host Fragrant Wind Among Neighbors — Ren-Chian Chen Solo Exhibition, promoting this emerging Taiwanese talent and her innovative contributions to traditional painting.
Ren-Chian Chen Painting Exhibition
Exhibition Period｜November 26, 2016 – January 25, 2017
Opening｜December 10, 2016 at 2:00 PM
Address｜No. 16, Lane 69, Jingye 2nd Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City