Alexander Chen Collection
Alexander Chen, described as "an ordinary man with an extraordinary vision and talent", was born in Guangzhou, Canton, China in 1952. As an artist, he has painted city scenes, landscapes and famous landmarks from around the world. Subjects include Times Square and Central Park in New York City, Montmartre in Paris, Glacier Bay in Alaska, the Acropolis in Greece, Buckingham Palace in England, Big Sur in California, the Market in Bruges and The Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
Chen began drawing as a child and developed his craft as he moved through the many changes that came into his life. At age 16, he moved to the countryside where for the next four years he worked as a farmer, all the while continuing to record in his art the world as it evolved before him. Then for six years he worked for an on the road theater, painting stage backgrounds.
At age 26 he found himself once again in Canton, but this time as a student at the art schools and colleges where he continued his studies in art. While in art school, he met a fellow student, Su, who would later become his wife and with whom he has a son named Brandon. Much had changed for this city-born artist who for so many years lived as a country bumpkin.
In 1989 Alexander Chen and his wife immigrated to America where they live in Northern California. From there he has created artwork called "Alexander's World', a series about modern life in his adopted country. It is a translation of his love for the United States into paintings that reflect deep feelings for our bustling cities and our beautiful countryside and national parks.
Chen's paintings are intended to capture perspectives others miss or cannot see. He spends as much as two months to complete many of his major works, all of which become, part of his gifts to his adopted land, things of beauty to be shared by all in appreciation of being given the opportunity to live a life he could only have dreamed of as a child.
Many of these images have been used commercially by companies such as Toshiba Electric, Northwest Airlines and Shin Nippon Co (Japan). Many others are used as calendars, jigsaw puzzles, book illustrations and other retail products.
Alexander Chen has also traveled to Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia in search of new locations for his artwork. He painted scenes of both the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics and the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, and became the only Olympic Artist sanctioned by both the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Beijing Olympic Committee.
Of his strong affection for China and now his home in America, he said: "It is the same ocean and sky that connects me with my homeland of China with my adopted land of America. I love both places and that is clearly reflected in my art." (Park West)
Collectors of his work include The Cantor Family, The Canada Group, Second Nature Software, Northwest Airlines and UNICEF.
