Kan Hung-Ju
Exhibited Artist
Kan Hung-Ju (b. 1993) received his BFA in painting and calligraphy from the National Taiwan University of Arts and subsequently his MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Kan's artistic training has been profoundly influenced by traditional Eastern aesthetics. During his university years, he studied the Lingnan school of Chinese ink painting, Taiwanese native ink painting, Japanese painting, calligraphy, and Eastern painting theories. After moving to the United States, he encountered the influence of Western art, which brought about various challenges and inspired him to explore new possibilities, seeking a fusion of Eastern and Western artistic sparks.
Kan’s work is deeply inspired by the Chinese ink painting principle of “外師造化、中得心源 learning from nature externally and finding inspiration internally.” This important concept in traditional Chinese painting emphasizes the integration of external observation with internal emotion, embodying a balance between objective perception and subjective expression in the creative process.
In this spirit, he internalizes and then depicts the scenery and emotions of his surroundings. Moreover, Kan incorporates Western materials and printmaking techniques, layering floral patterns from his childhood memories onto his works. By blending painting with floral motifs as a substitute for traditional ink texturing methods, the artist projects his inner landscapes and imbues his art with personal sentiments.
