„My paintings express my personal and cultural histories. Having grown up on the island of Taiwan, I have a deep affinity for the elemental power of water and the forces of nature. Now living in America, I feel the ebb and flow of competing cultures. The ancient philosophies of my homeland, which teach self-discipline and selflessness, collide and mingle with Western notions of ego, alienation, and desire.
My working method is a process of subtraction from darkness to light. I carve into the paint with a stylus to bring forth the individual lines that are the central motif of my work. These lines flow across the canvas in rhythms and frequencies that create depths and swells on the painted surface. Something of the self is lost in the resulting tangle, and then regained, only to be lost again. Simplicity and harmony exist within the chaos.“
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Leigh Wen resides in New York City as a full time artist. She has exhibited nationally and internationally since the early 1980’s. She was born in Taipei, Taiwan and received her BFA from Washington State University, MA and MFA from the State University of New York at Albany.
She has received numerous international awards, exhibited widely, and hundreds of her works are included in private and public collections.
To learn more about Leigh and her work, please visit
→ www.leighwen.com
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All images © Leigh WenFrom left to right:
#11. Barbados VIII 36″ x 48″ 2008
#20. ponte vecchio IV 48″ x 60″ 2007
#44. Under the Silver Moon Light III 48″x60″ 2008
