Chen Xi Guang
BORN: 1941
HOMETOWN: JILIN PROVINCE, CHINA
Chen Xi Guang graduated from Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts in 1959. He was a member of the Arts Education Committee of the Ministry of Education, Vice-chairperson of the Jilin Provincial Cultural Union and the Provincial American Association. He had also served as the dean of Jilin Animation College, the head of department at multiple schools: the Fine Arts Department at Northeast Normal University, the Department of Art and Design at Zhejiang Wanli College, and the Department of Digital Art at Dalian Dong Luan Information College.
Chen has been engaged long-term in art education, printmaking, and watercolour painting. Most of his artworks are curated in the direction of snow, houses, people, and animals, like the oxen. The beauty of the snow can truly be appreciated in his paintings, with the sight of the pure white sheets of snow reminding us of the moments we sought comfort and warmth, curled up in soft blankets. The sceneries of natural backdrops and houses remind us of a simpler, cozier setting, that takes off the edges of a bustling urban life, easing the restless mind.
In 1995, he won the Baosteel Education Fund’s National Outstanding Teacher Award, and in 1999, was awarded the “Golden Award for Art of the Century” by Jilin Provincial Cultural Union. Most of his works have been selected for national-level exhibitions and won awards, with some works being collected and incorporated into the compilation of “Chinese Modern Art Collection Watercolor Roll”, “China Watercolor Painting”, “China Centennial Watercolor Painting Collection”, and “Chinese Printmaker’s New Selection”, and published in “Chen Xi Guang Art Anthology.” Moreover, several academic papers have been published in core journals such as Art Research, Fine Arts, and Chinese Fine Arts Education.
Notably, several of his works are exhibited in Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and China.