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Alexander Chen was born in Canton, China in 1952.
His interest in art began developing while in kindergarten, where
he started drawing images of his own life and the lives of his fellow
classmates. In the years that followed, legendary heroes came to
life in the form of pictures and drawings he compiled in storybook
form. By the time Alexander finished elementary school, he had completed
nearly forty picture / story books.
In 1966, Alexander walked over 300 miles from Canton to Zhanjiang.
In 1968, he became part of the state agricultural effort to raise
food for China's growing population. During this time, Alexander
drew life in the country. By November 1972, Alexander had been chosen
as a stage designer by the state opera troupe. For the next four
years, Alexander traveled by foot from one small village to another,
living with people as they performed.
During the ensuing years, there were many experiences that shaped
Alexander's future life. By the time he was 25, he found himself
again a student; this time in the arts school at Guangdong and the
Canton Academy of Fine Arts. For the next few years, Alexander traveled
throughout much of China, painting life in the countryside. Many
works were exhibited in provincial and national art museums and
also in the United States and France. Later his works were collected
by the P.R.C. National Art Gallery where many were published.
In 1989, Alexander and his wife immigrated to the United States,
where he began assimilating our culture and painting life in his
new land. Currently, Alexander is working on his American Cities
Series, reflecting the feelings and emotions he experiences on location.
He also has completed eleven works which are being printed as puzzles
by one of Japan's largest puzzle makers.
Alexander's paintings are extremely detailed and complex, offering
the viewer many levels of enjoyment. Some of his paintings take
over a month to complete because of the attention to detail and
the intricacy of the subject matter.
Alexander's greatest desire in his adopted land is to contribute
something of value and beauty by painting what he observes in his
unique style, bringing a little of Alexander's World into your life.
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