JULIA NEE CHU
(b. in Shanghai, China)

Julia Nee Chu currently lives and works in Santa Monica, California.

The focus of my painting has always had to do with nature or rather, the processes or movements of nature. One cannot copy nature, but through the process of painting one can experience the transformation of nature.

What is nature to me? The Chinese philosophy of nature is to find universal orientation. The elements of nature are earth, wind, water and sun. From the processes of nature or the physics of nature come the forms (matter), motion space and mechanics and the human elements. Human beings are just one small element of the nature’s processes. Therefore, we are an integral part of nature and through the positive /negative, Ying and Yang, we arrive to become part of the unifying whole.

For a Chinese, the purest form of art is calligraphy. The spirit of the brushstroke, also called touch, is spontaneity and finality. Spontaneity is a reflection that comes directly from the mind. Finality is when ink touches paper. It cannot be erased.

The process of touching the paintbrush to the surface of the paper is called time. Time spent cannot be returned, so the process is precious. Therefore, the act of writing becomes a scared act. This is why Chinese consider writing is a way to exercise. I drop paint on the surface of paper or canvas and leave marks to build up the density of time. This creates a universal space.

The brush (touch) movement is an important element in my painting, movement is the force of transformation in nature. So my act of painting is not only about recreating a feeling of nature, but nature itself.

My act of painting is a dialogue between the conscious and the orientation of myself to the world.

Has been with Sin Sin Fine Art since 2005.

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