Wei Jia

Wei Jia was trained in ink painting from a young age. His early proficiency led him to study at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, where he met Lin Yan.  Yet he found the rules of traditional Chinese calligraphy too stifling, and as he began his graduate studies in the U.S., he sought out new means of expression. Ever mindful of this tradition, which he continues to hold in high esteem, Wei Jia incorporates methods and materials that he learned in the U.S.; collage and gouache appear regularly in his art.  Wei’s work redefines tradition through his use of bold colours, his methodical tearing and remounting of Xuan paper, and the re-appropriation of Chinese script, which he strips of meaning and treats as abstract forms.