Chinese Paintings and Drewings by Lan-Chiann Wu | About the Artist at The Tranquil Studio

Artist Statement

I paint with the conviction that there are universal humanistic values to life, principles that I grew up with and that are inherent to many societies, which are important to express in my work. Values such as achievement and benevolence, for example, play an important role in my art, because they are at the core of our existence.

Mankind’s universal struggle with life is also theme in my work. We all confront the questions: why are we here, and what is our purpose in life? The innate strength that we possess to overcome our difficulties is fascinating. Everyone struggles with profound moments of change, such as for example, the death of a loved one. This is not different for me; however, I
choose to express my struggles by creating images that are rich with meaning. This creates purposeful tension in my work.

My paintings are not mere images. They are layered with content, which can be both seen and felt. A curator at a
Los Angeles art institution once referred to my work as “hauntingly beautiful”, which touched the essence of my work.

My work is rooted in the ancient tradition of Chinese ink painting. My paintings are created with natural materials, ink on paper, using century-old techniques. I often make several sketches before I make a painting. It is a process that may take
up to several months to complete.

I prepare my materials by hand so that I have full control over my ink and colors, which is necessary for achieving intricate brushwork. I sometimes refer to my paintings as visual poems, because they contain similar intrinsic tension as poetry.
I aim to inspire the viewer of my paintings, not only to see the beauty of the image, but also experience its full meaning.

Bio

Lan-Chiann Wu received her BFA -with highest honors- from the Chinese Culture University in Taipei, Taiwan. She holds a MA from New York University’s
Fine Art Department and, resides in Granada Hills, CA where she has her studio. Lan-Chiann has exhibited and lectured on the subject of Chinese ink
Painting in the Los Angeles area, San Francisco, and well as in New York, Taiwan and Japan. She has received numerous prizes and awards, and her work has been exhibited and collected in Taiwan, the Netherlands, Japan and in the USA. Lan-Chiann has demonstrated the art of Chinese Ink Painting in Taiwan and New York, and appeared on an award-winning CD-ROM “The Paths Dreams Take”, Japanese art from the Collection of Mary Griggs Burke at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

EDUCATION:

New York University
New York City
School of Art and Art Education
Department of Arts and Art Professions
September 1996 to May 1998
Master of Art degree

Chinese Culture University, Fine Arts Department
Chinese Culture University, Yang-Ming Shan, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
September 1991 to June 1995.
BFA, with the highest distinction for scholastic achievement of the Chinese Culture University,
and achievement award from the Fine Art Department. Student of Au Ho-Nien and Ho Huai-Shuo.
Received highest honor ‘Hua-Kang Chi-Nien’ of the University.

EXHIBITIONS:

Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for the Arts and Crafts: “Three Paths
to Expression”, three women artists group exhibition, Alta Loma, California, February 28 – September 30, 2011.

ARTROM Gallery, Rome, Italy: International On-Line Exhibition “Asian
Inspiration International”, award winner in an international competition and exhibition organized by
the Italian Gallery ARTROM. December 6, 2009 – January 18, 2010.

SOMArts Cultural Center: Celebrating 20 Years: “Asian American Women Artist Association”, group exhibition,
SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco, September 24 – October 4, 2009.

Once a Tree Gallery: “A Collective: Fine Woodworking and Painting”, group exhibition,
1340 N. Dynamics, Suite F, Anaheim, CA 92806, May 24, 2008 – June 30, 2009.

Feldman-Horn Gallery: “Heaven and Earth”, group exhibition, Harvard-Westlake School,
North Hollywood, April 30 – May 12, 2006.

JKD Gallery: “Between Dusk and Dawn”, solo exhibition, Bergamot Station, Los Angeles,
May 11 – June 12, 2004.

Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts: Group exhibition (by invitation) “2002 Asian Ink and Water Painting
Exhibition”, Osaka, Japan, September, 2002, to January 15, 2003. This exhibition traveled to three other
venues in Taidong, Taipei and Yuenlin in Taiwan.

Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts: Group exhibition (by invitation) “2001 Asian Ink and Water Painting
Exhibition”, Osaka, Japan, September-November 2001. This exhibition traveled to three other venues in
Hsinchu, Taichung and Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

New York Studio Exhibition: “Paintings by Lan-Chiann Wu”, New York City,
September 9-10, 2000, paintings made between 1994 and 2000.

Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts: Group exhibition (by invitation) “2000 Asian Ink and Water Painting
Exhibition, Osaka, Japan, September-December 2000. This exhibition traveled to two other venues in
Taichung and Taipei in Taiwan.

Hsinchu Academy of Science, solo exhibition of thirty paintings from March 1994 to February 1995.

National Memorial Museum, graduation group exhibition, Taipei. Organized by the Chinese Culture
University, June 1995.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Summer 2011: Lan-Chiann Wu: a woman painter in the Chinese ink and brush tradition,Paula Demattè,
Associate Professor of Chinese Art and Archaeology in the Department of Art History and Visual Culture at
the Rhoda Island School of Design, Providence, RI.
Article: Lan-Chiann Wu by Paula Dematte 2011

Global Asian Culture, Lan-Chiann Wu, Tranquil Artist, blog by Liz Shim, July 16, 2011.
Visit: http://globalasianculture.com/2011/lan-chiann-wu-tranquil-artist/

File Under Fiber, Art of Lan-Chiann Wu, blog by Ellen Katz, May 5, 2011.
Visit: http://fileunderfiber.blogspot.com/2011/05/art-of-lan-chiann-wu.html

Rancho Cucamonga News and Announcements, Maloof Gallery Demonstration on Chinese Ink Painting, March 16, 2011.
Visit: http://www.americantowns.com/ca/ranchocucamonga/news/maloof-gallery-demonstration-on-chinese-ink-painting-4323519

Maloof Foundation, Press Release, February 14, 2011, Alta Loma, CA.
Visit: http://www.malooffoundation.org/uploads/Maloof3PTEPressRel.pdf

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
Chinese Culture Foundation Artists Network, United States Artist Organization,
Asian American Women Artists Association, Asian American Arts Alliance, WomenArts.

EMPLOYMENT:

Tainan National College of the Arts
Kuantien, Taiwan
Part-time painting teacher Department of Art History, September 2003 - January 2004.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York
Education Department
Contractual Lecturer Chinese Painting from March, 1999 to February 2000.

Invited to appear on an award-winning CD-ROM “The Paths Dreams Take”, Japanese art from the
Collection of Mary Griggs Burke and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, produced by the Education Department
at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, March 2000.

Painting demonstration at the Metropolitan Museum of Art given during the seminar “Exploring Chinese
Painting”, held on October 9, 1999, in conjunction with an exhibition of Chinese paintings from the
C. C. Wang collection.

Lecture and painting demonstration at the Hamilton-Madison House community center relating to an exhibition
of Chinese painting from the C. C. Wang collection, October 1999.

Painting demonstration of traditional Chinese painting techniques during the seminar “Traces of the Brush:
Looking at Chinese Painting”, held on December 11, 1999. The seminar was part of the Museum teachers
training program.

COLLECTED WORKS:

Paintings and drawings have been collected in Taiwan, The Netherlands, Germany, Japan, and in the
United States in Los Angeles and New York City by private collectors between 1995 and present.

GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS:

2010 - Durfee Foundation Artist Completion Grant (ARC), Santa Monica.

1995 - Jin Ren-Chuo Scholarship for scholastic achievement in oil painting, awarded by the Education
Department of the Government of Taiwan.

1994 - Liu Yen-Tao Scholarship for Chinese Calligraphy and Painting awarded by the National History Museum in Taipei.

1993 - Ma Sho-Hua Scholarship for Chinese painting awarded by the Ma Sho-Hua Family Trust, Taipei.

AWARDS AND HONORS:

2009, Award winner in “Asian Inspiration International”, an international competition and exhibition organized by the Italian
Gallery ARTROM. December 6, 2009 – January 18, 2010.

1995 - Chinese Culture University honor for contemporary Chinese painting.
Chinese Culture University, especially selected to join the Hua-Kang Painting Association (comparable to Dean’s list).

1995, Chinese Culture University. Highest honor ‘Hua-Kang Chi-Nien’ for scholastic and artistic achievement.

1993, International Rotary Club, sixth year fine art nomination for Chinese painting.

CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:

2011 - Artist talk & painting demonstration, Maloof Foundation, March 20, 2011.

2005-2007 – Created two Chinoiserie designs for an important English eighteenth-century commode held in a private collection.
Co-executed the designs in European lacquer and gilding techniques following Stalker and Parker’s Treatise on Japanning of 1668.

2005 - ‘Point-of-view’ talk relating to the “Imaging the Orient” exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, February 2005.

1999 - Lecture and painting demonstration of traditional Chinese painting at the National Academy School of Fine Arts,
New York City, December 1999.

1995 - Chairman of the students group, Fine Arts Department, Chinese Culture University.

1995 - Member of the graduation committee, Fine Arts Department, Chinese Culture
University.

1995 - Co-organizer for the graduation exhibition, Fine Arts Department, Chinese
Culture University.