JI CHEN | UNDER THE AUSTRALIAN SKY

16 APRIL - 14 MAY 2023

The Nancy Sever Gallery is pleased to present Under the Australian Sky, an exhibition of paintings by the renowned artist Ji Chen, who lives and works in Melbourne.

Ji Chen was born in Shanghai. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Shanghai Drama Academy in 1984 and later worked as chief set designer for the Beijing Opera Theatre Company of China. His professional career as an artist was launched when one of his watercolours, Pool, won a prestigious national award in China and was exhibited nationwide.

The artist and his family arrived in Australia in 1989. For Ji Chen, the vivid colours and brilliant light of the Australian landscape provided him with artistic subjects like no others. His artistic style is distinctive and instantly recognisable, characterised by broad, daring brush-strokes, juxtaposed with an almost ethereal softness and warmth, all of which derives from a continuously evolving perspective. While many of his artworks show his mastery of the magnificent vistas and vast horizons of the Australian landscape, he often moves from this signature artistic genre to lush depictions of riotous leaves and blooms.

The arts critic Prof. Sasha Grishin has written of his work: “He is in many ways an artist for all seasons – landscapes, seascapes, genre scenes, cityscapes and portraits – all executed in a lively manner with thick impasto paint and a vibrant surface…..He is an artist of mood and atmosphere…. with a fully developed toolbox of techniques”.

Ji Chen was the winner of the People's Choice Award at the Fleurieu Peninsula Biennale International Art Prize in 2002, 2004 and 2006. In 2016 he won the People's Choice Award in Tattersall's invitation only 26th Landscape Art Prize. In addition to participating in art competitions he has exhibited widely throughout Australia as well as in New York, Shanghai, Singapore, Dublin and London.

Ji Chen | Under the Australian Sky is on show from 16 April to 14 May 2023. Gallery hours: 11am-5pm Wednesday to Sunday. For further information please contact nancy.sever@iinet.net.au or 0416 249 102.

Artworks included in the exhibition

(To view details of the works on a desktop, please hold cursor over the image. On mobile or tablet, please click on the image and then tap the dot in the bottom right corner of your device)

Lotus Pond series I. 2023 oil on canvas 100 cm x 120cm $11,500

Lotus Pond series II. 2023 oil on canvas 100 cm x 120cm $11,500 SOLD

Lotus Pond series III. 2023 oil on canvas 100 cm x 120cm $11,500

Lotus Pond series IV. 2023 oil on canvas 100 cm x 120cm $11,500

Lotus Pond series IX. 2021, oil on canvas 100 cm x 120cm $11,000

Flinders Station, 2022 oil on canvas, 100 x 120 cm $11,000

Sydney Bridge II. 2022 Oil on canvas 100 x 120 cm $11,000

George St, Sydney 2022. Oil on canvas 100 x 120 cm $11,000

Early morning. 2018, oil on canvas 130 cm x 116 cm $11,500

Southgate. 2018, oil on canvas 150 cm x 160cm $16,500

Time and space - Bondi Oil on canvas 90 x 110 cm $9,500

Time and space - The Gap. oil on canvas 80 x 100 cm $8,500

Time and Space,- Watson Bay, Oil on canvas 80 x 100 cm $8,500

In the sun. 2020 oil on canvas 100 cm x l20 cm $11,000

Seaside meditation. 2020 oil on canvas. 70x 80 cm. $5,500

Big waves. 2021 oil on canvas 136 cm x 180cm $18,500

The surfers return. 2020, oil on canvas 140 cm x 170cm $16,900

Sails. 2020 oil on canvas 130 cm x 150cm $14,900

View from Black Mountain, Canberra 2019 oil on canvas 60 cm x 90 cm $5,500

Northern Desert Oil on canvas 70 x 80 cm $5,500

ji chen exhibition catalogue

Views of the exhibition

JI CHEN | CITY AND SEASCAPES

28 JULY - 22 AUGUST 2021

To download catalogue

JI CHEN | CITY AND SEASCAPES

29 JULY - 22 AUGUST 2021

The Nancy Sever Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of cityscapes and seascapes by the renowned Melbourne artist Ji Chen.

Ji and his family arrived in Australia in 1989. For him, the vivid colours and brilliant light of the Australian landscape provided him with artistic subjects like no others. His artistic style is distinctive and instantly recognisable, characterised by broad, daring brush-strokes, juxtaposed with an almost ethereal softness and warmth, all of which derives from a continuously evolving perspective. While many of his artworks are characterised by his mastery of the magnificent vistas and vast horizons of the Australian landscape, he often moves from this signature artistic genre to do monumental portraits, which comprise some of his most prized and sought-after works.

He was the winner of the People's Choice Award at the Fleurieu Peninsula Biennale International Art Prize in 2002, 2004 and 2006. In 2016 he won the People's Choice Award in Tattersall's invitation only 26th Landscape Art Prize. In addition to participating in art competitions he has exhibited widely throughout Australia as well as in New York, Shanghai, Singapore, Dublin and London. His work has also been featured in numerous art publications, including in The Australia Artist magazine on four occasions.

Ji Chen | City and Seascapes is on show from 29 July until 22 August 2021. Gallery hours: 11am-5pm Wednesday to Sunday. For further information please contact nancy.sever@iinet.net.au or 0416 249 102.