Artist Statement

Painting is something I have experienced day and night, every month from year to year, from confusion to clarity, from darkness into light, gradually finding my own shadow, until at last I discern the movement of the soul.  This power existed from the time we were born, but was abandoned long ago amidst the clouds.  For too long we have lost touch with truth and beauty, and so we are not free, nor brave, nor do we live authentically.  We fear authority because we ignore beauty and truth.

In my work, I tirelessly observe the object, seeking to peel off its surface, so I can see into its essence.  This is my process, and the process itself has meaning.  Moreover, this kind interaction gives rise to countless adversaries, you could say. These adversaries raise questions and challenge me—their aggressiveness strengthens my confidence, wisdom, and experience.  If one day humanity reached a kind of Eden, I would reckon that day a terrible day, because art is struggle, and life is struggle: struggle is the process of art, the reality of life.  The most strange and wonderful thing of all is when life breaks through and comes pouring out.

In the end I understand: “An artist’s mindset and spirit is forever fighting. There is not rest at a high point.” To master oneself or the spirit of a artwork is a long and arduous task.

Commentary by Professor Sun Jianping, Tianjing Academy of Fine Arts:

Jiang Changhong lives a temperate life. He works to store up strong chi (energy) in his soul, because he fundamentally believes that if the soul is muddied, the artwork will be as well. And so he lives an ascetic life, striving for holiness and purity, a pure heart.

He likes Minimalist Art with strong energy.  He often stands before the canvas for hours at a time painting a still life such as The Empty Chair or The Naked Woman, or sometimes just part of the Naked Woman.   Through these works, he does not want to deliver an idea or concept, which he regards as unimportant.  Like Cezanne with his apples or Morandi with his bottles, Jiang is creating his own spaces through meditation on the object itself.