Abstract Landscape

XIAOHONG CHEN

Xiaohong Chen was born in Sichuan Province during China's Cultural Revolution. A period void of any advancement in science and culture and in which many families were disrupted. Both of her parents were scientist; her father was exiled to a remote farm. Not to be deterred, her mother took Xiaohong, only a few months old, and her five-year-old sister into hiding. To find ways to learn, Xiaohong began to draw at age 6, and upon noticing her talent, Xiaohong's mother began to search for a teacher for her daughter. Two years after the end of the Cultural Revolution, Xiaohong, now 12, passed the qualifying exam and entered the internationally famous Sichuan Fine Art Institute, becoming the youngest student in the school's history. After graduation in 1981, Xiaohong was accepted at the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Beijing. From 1981 to 1985, Xiaohong studied and absorbed the culture and art history of China and the western world from every source available. She learned from and was influenced by both historical and contemporary artists. Later she continued her studies in graduate school and taught classes at the school. She then had the opportunity to study in the United States at the University of South Carolina.

This was a new experience for Xiaohong. While at the university, she embraced the imagination, freedom of expression and openness of American teaching. Her participation in school activities and art events brought her many rewards and citations. After completing her MFA program, she came to San Diego in 1989 to pursue advanced studies. Since then, She has won widespread acclaim after exhibits of work in various locations in the U.S., Japan,Mexico and China. Xiaohong's recent works are more experimental, striving to create works that provoke conversations about modern crises regarding personal and universal issues.