My call is to inherit the craftsmanship and knowledge of art, to create the beauty of the world through figurative precision from Western art tradition, and poetic atmosphere from Chinese Xieyi painting. I hope to create a realm in this high-tech dominated era through the traditional way of art making.
Born into a family of artists in China, I was immersed in the worlds of both Western and Eastern art from a young age. While other children played on the playground, I found joy in a different kind of creation—flinging paint onto my father's canvases, and eventually, my own. For me, art was never just a pastime; it was my earliest language, a way to explore the boundless realms of color and imagination.
As I grew older, I ventured into the structured world of finance and business in the US, building a solid career. Yet, the call of my true nature never faded. In 2023, I made the decision to embrace my artistic destiny, and pursue art.
I studied with Thomas Dunlay, Susan Kelley and Edward Stitt. Dunlay was trained under R. H. Ives Gammell. Gammell was the last surviving member of the original Boston School painters and had studied with William McGregor Paxton. Through Gammell’s instruction, Dunlay learned the methods and principles associated with William Paxton, Joseph DeCamp, Edmund Tarbell, and Frank Weston Benson.
My artwork invites viewers into a world of poetic atmosphere, where subtle narratives unfold and linger in the imagination. Through my work, I continue to explore the interplay of tradition and innovation, creating works that resonate with both depth and beauty.
-- Ximuli 栗