Wei Jia
Bio
Born in Beijing in 1957 and based in Brooklyn, NY Wei Jia graduated with a B.F.A from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing in 1984 and earned his M.A. from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania 1987.
Chinese traditional painting and calligraphy has been an integral part of Wei Jia’s maturation as an artist. Wei Jia practiced calligraphy, Chinese painting and poetry from an early stage. He came to United States in 1985. The feeling of cultural displacement and co-existence of cultural identities led him to measure the influences from Eastern and Western cultures in his work.
Wei Jia uses hand-made paper to make abstract collages. His process involves a rigorously repeated cycle of tearing, mounting and painting, which leaves the artwork full of serendipitous combinations which cannot be replicated. The final work is made of layers of ink, pastel, gouache and hand-made paper, encouraging the viewer to have a close look at the exceptional medium and make a journey within the artwork.
Currently he works and lives between New York and Beijing, where he teaches at the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Wei has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in various venues in the United States and China, including the Central Academy of Fines Arts, Beijing; National Museum of Art, Beijing; Dadu museum of art, Beijing; Yuan Dian museum, Beijing; Chelsea art museum, New York; CU art museum University of Colorado at Boulder; Museum of Binghamton University, New York; Lincoln Center, New York; Founders Gallery of University of San Diego, California, etc. Selected public collections include the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, the Utah Museum, and the Dadu museum of art.
Gouache, graphite pencil and Xuan paper collage on canvas 52 x 52
Gouache, graphite pencil and Xuan paper collage on canvas 52 x 52
Gouache, ink, pastel and xuan paper collage on canvas
48 × 138 × 2 in