About Yan Xu (徐雁)
I love the human form and have studied portraiture and figurative movement since 1990. When I paint a portrait I like to capture the spirit of the subject as much as the resemblance. Most of my artwork has been in the watercolor medium. I have incorporated a resist technique on vellum in order to include line beneath many transparent layers within my work. The purpose of the line is to reinforce the rhythm within the movement. The line also reinforces the inherent effect of flowing, loosely painted and spontaneous watercolour. Although I have lived in the US for over ten years, my childhood in China’s culture has formed my aesthetic and the poetic essence of my art.
EDUCATION
2000, Master of Landscape Architecture
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, U.S.A.
1994, Bachelor of Science, Landscape Architecture
University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S.A.
1988-1991, Architecture and Urban Planning
Wuhan University, China
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
1995-1996, Department of Painting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, U.S.A.
Life Drawing with Professor Jerry Savage (watercolor, oil pastel & charcoal)
1996-2001, Life Drawing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S.A.
2001-2004, Basic Inquiry, Vancouver Life Drawing Society, Vancouver, Canada
2003, Chinese Painting, Chinese Cultural Center, Vancouver, Canada
2003, Anita Nairne Intuitive Acrylic Painting, Vancouver, Canada
1998-2001, Jeanne Ruchti Watercolor Portrait, Madison Area Technical College, U.S.A.
1998-2001, Yuemei Cheng Chinese Painting, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
2000, Sister Stephanie Watercolor Technique, Edgewood College, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
2000, Katherine Wilson Smith Watercolor, Madison Watercolor Society, U.S.A.
2000, Bill Doughty Watercolor, Madison Watercolor Society, U.S.A.
1999, Tom Francesconi Watercolor, Madison Watercolor Society, U.S.A.
1999, Sharon Crosby Watercolor, Madison Watercolor Society, U.S.A.
1998, Rose Edin Watercolor, Madison Watercolor Society, U.S.A.
1997, Don Andrews Watercolor Figure Painting, Madison Watercolor Society, U.S.A.
1996, Jim Anderson Graphic Thinking Workshop, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, U.S.A.
1976-1988, Private drawing & painting lessons with Professor Haili Cai, Nanjing, China
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS, CATALOGUES & CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
1991, “The Method of Statistics Analysis”, The Forestry Publishing House of China, Book Cover Design, Beijing, China
2000-2001, “Red Dream”, watercolor, catalogue, Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors Centennial Exhibition, U.S.A.
October 22-November 26, 2000, West Bend Art Museum, West Bend, Wisconsin
December 8, 2000-January 19, 2001, LRC Gallery, Nicolet College, Rhinelander, Wisconsin
2003, Collection of Beacon Appraisal, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
2000, Collection of Lakeside Fibers, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
1999, Collection of Lakeside Group, Wisconsin & Colorado, U.S.A.
SELECTED AWARDS
1991, First Prize – Women’s Art Competition, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
1990-1991, First Prize – Stage Design for the Golden Autumn Art Festival, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
1990, First Prize – Poster Design Competition, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
1984-1986, Watercolor paintings were selected for international exhibitions in U.S.A., Japan, Australia & China, Nanjing, China
1981-1984, Painting Mastery Prize in Juvenile Painting Competition, Nanjing, China
SOLO EXHIBIIONS
2009 “Pieces of Me” Ebling Library, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison
2008 “Mystic Ocean”, Mei Ling Art Museum, Taiwan
2008 “Quiet Night, Flying Dance”, Feng Chia Univ. Library Gallery, Taiwan
2007 “Ocean Memory”, Feng Chia Univ. Art Center Gallery, Taichung, Taiwan
2006-2008 Lun Yuan International, Taipei, Taiwan
2005 Mariana Spa Gallery, Beijing, China
2004 “Love & Passion”, Unitarian Church Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2003 “Celebration of life”, Vancouver Life Drawing Society, Basic Inquiry, Vancouver
INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS
2011 “Mother and Daughters’s Art Show”, Skylight Lounge Gallery, University of Wisconsin Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.
2010 “Xu Sister’s Art Show”, Skylight Lounge Gallery, University of Wisconsin Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.
2008, Three artists art show, Skylight Lounge Gallery,University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
2004, “Water Figure”, Watercolor Show, Basic Inquiry, Vancouver, Canada
2004, University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
1998-2003, Artful Women Exhibition, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
2003, Eastside Culture Crawl, Vancouver, Canada
2002-2004, Peking Palace, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
2002-2004, World Buffet, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
2002-2004, Huakee Noodles, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
1999-2001, Lakeside Fibers Gallery, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
JURIED EXHIBITIONS
2004, Oil & Acrylic Show, Basic Inquiry, Vancouver, Canada
2004, Vancouver Sketch Club Exhibit, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2004, Vancouver Sketch Club Exhibit, University of British Columbia Women’s Club, Vancouver, Canada
2003, Vancouver Sketch Club Annual Exhibit, Moat Gallery, Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver, Canada
2003, 48-hour-Art-Marathon, DV 8, Vancouver, Canada
2003, “Illuminate”, Glass Onion Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
2003-2004, “Eye on Dance”, Round House Community Center, Vancouver, Canada
2002-2004, Basic Inquiry Member Show, Vancouver, Canada
2000, Watercolor Wisconsin 2000 Exhibition, Wurstum Museum of Fine Arts, Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
1997-2001, University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospital, Madison Watercolor Society Member Show, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
1995-1996, Dept. of Painting Student Show, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, U.S.A.
SELECTED COMMISSIONS
2003, Beacon Appraisal, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
1996-2004, Portraits & Landscape, Private Collections (numerous), Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, Massachusetts, California & New York, U.S.A. & Toronto & Vancouver, Canada
1992, Painting (16′ by 4′), the Chinese Food Department, Walton’s Food Court, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
2003-2004, Vancouver Academy of Art, Vancouver, Canada
2003-2004, Vancouver Sketch Club, Vancouver, Canada
2001-2004, Vancouver Life Drawing Society, Basic Inquiry, Vancouver, Canada
2000-2001, Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors Association, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
1997-2001, Madison Watercolor Society, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
學經歷
1988-1991 武漢大學建築與城市規劃系
1994 美國威斯康星大學麥迪遜分校景觀建築學士
2000 美國伊利諾大學香檳分校景觀建築碩士
1996-2001 美國范德沃城市與景觀規劃設計事務所景觀建築師
2001-2004 加拿大溫哥華人體繪畫協會策展人, 設計創意總監
2004~迄今 逢甲大學建設學院室景班與建築學系兼任講師
2005 創立塗鴉坊人體畫會
2006, 2012 靜宜大學人文教育中心兼任講師
2005-2007 鄉林建設BOT 專案建築規劃經理
2007-迄今 醜小鴨藝術潛能開發工作室
個展
2003 加拿大溫哥華人體繪畫協會Basic Inquiry畫廊：
“Celebration of Life”
2004 加拿大溫哥華Unitarian Church 畫廊：“Love & Passion”
2006 北京馬麗安娜Spa畫廊：“韻”
2006 台北美商掄元國際企業有限公司台灣分公司：“美的饗宴”
2007 台北美商掄元國際企業有限公司台灣分公司：“秘密”
2008 嘉義梅岭美术馆:“神奇之海”
2008 逢甲大学图書馆画廊：“静夜，飞翔之舞”
2009 美國威斯康星大學麥迪遜分校埃博林图書馆畫廊：“一片片的我”
2010 美國威斯康星大學麥迪遜分校醫院畫廊：“愛的文明”
2011 美國威斯康星大學麥迪遜分校醫院畫廊：“覺醒”
聯展
1995-1996 美國伊利諾大學香檳分校美術系學生創作展
1997-2001 美國威斯康星大學麥迪遜分校醫院畫廊麥迪遜水彩協會聯展
1998-2000 美國麥迪遜市女性藝術家聯展 “Artful Women”
2001-2005 加拿大溫哥華人體畫會聯展
2003 加拿大溫哥華東區文化藝術展“Eastside Culture Crawl”
2003 加拿大溫哥華Glass Onion Gallery “Illuminate” 聯展
2003 加拿大溫哥華DV 8畫廊 48小時藝術馬拉松競賽展
2004 加拿大溫哥華圓屋社區中心畫廊 “Eye on Dance”
2004 加拿大溫哥華人體畫會油畫與壓克力畫展
2004 加拿大溫哥華孫逸仙花園畫廊溫哥華速寫協會聯展
2004 美國威斯康星大學麥迪遜分校醫院畫廊華裔女性藝術家三人聯展
2006 逢甲大學藝術中心教職員工創作聯展
2007-2008 逢甲大學藝術中心聯展:“建築人的意想世界”
“The Architecture Professional’s World of Vision & Imagination”
2008-2012 美國威斯康星大學麥迪遜分校醫院畫廊華裔藝術家聯展
邀請展
1999-2001 美國麥迪遜市濱湖畫廊（Lakeside Gallery）藝術家聯展
2000 美國West Bend 市立美術館（West Bend Art Museum）美國威斯康星畫家與雕塑家協會百年紀念巡迴展（Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors Association Centennial Exhibition）
2000-2001 美國 Rhinelander市Nicolet 學院（Nicolet College）LRC 畫廊（LRC Gallery）美國威斯康星畫家與雕塑家協會百年紀念巡迴展（Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors Association Centennial Exhibition）
2001-2006 美國麥迪遜市女性藝術家聯展 “Artful Women”
2003 加拿大溫哥華市立圖書館莫特畫廊溫哥華速寫協會年度展
2004 加拿大溫哥華英屬哥倫比亞大學畫廊溫哥華速寫協會聯展
2004 加拿大溫哥華人體畫會水彩畫展 “Water Figure”
2006-2007 美國威斯康星West Bend 市比佛利山莊畫廊 (Beverly Hills Gallery) 華裔女性藝術家雙人展
2010 中台聖業諮詢公司台中, 桃園, 台北“珍愛地球, 愛心傳遞”城市巡迴聯展與義賣
2012 靜宜大學教職員作品聯展“愛在飛舞,藝在傳揚”
出版/發表節選
1991 封面設計，“統計分析方法” ，北京中國林業出版社
1999-2000 伊利諾州莫林市約翰迪爾收藏者中心集資手冊之設計John Deere Collector’s Center, graphic design of fund-raising brochure, Moline, Illinois, 1999-2000
2000 威斯康星州丹郡輕軌鐵路聯盟水彩表現圖Watercolor renderings, Dane Alliance for Rail Transit membership color brochure, Madison, Wisconsin
2000 奧波瑞克植物園導覽手冊之設計/水彩透視Promotional brochure design & watercolor renderings, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Madison, Wisconsin, 2000
2000 “Red Dream”水彩，美國威斯康星畫家與雕塑家協會百年紀
念巡迴展画册（Wisconsin Painters & Sculptors Association
Centennial Exhibition）
2001 奧波瑞克植物園泰國亭榭水彩表現圖， 威斯康星州麥迪遜市首都時報Thai Pavilion, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, The Capital Times, Madison, Wisconsin, July 25, 2001
2009 人體速寫，台灣“建築師”雜誌
2010 封面設計，“中央與地方權限畫分與爭議”，新學林出版
2012 與蕭璽合譯 “打開心門”(Opening Doors Within) 一書即將出版
參與之專業協會
美國景觀建築師協會
中國景觀建築師在美協會
威斯康辛畫家與雕塑家協會
威斯康辛麥迪遜市水彩協會
溫哥華人體繪畫協會
溫哥華速寫協會
台灣建築師公會台中畫會