Sean Chen

Sean Chen (1956 - ) is a Chinese born NZ artist. We think that Chen’s work strongly represents the new Asian thread in the fabric of NZ art and are very excited to now stock his very first limited edition print, “Auckland Skyline”. In 2013 as part of the cultural and trade exchange between New Zealand and China Prime Minister John Key and his delegation attended Sean Chen’s “Colourful world” exhibition held at the National Museum of China Beijing Tiananmen Square. His work is in an expressionist style that mixes both western and eastern elements. Gallery director Warwick Brown says Chen is painting Auckland, not in a cliched manner, but with wit and imagination, “[Chen’s] chosen subject matter, well-known Auckland landmarks, could have been tedious and predictable, but it was not. Buildings were wonky, perspectives were skewed, colours were odd, compositions were unusual, but there was yet more. Instead of his work coming across as what I would describe as illustrative ‘telephone directory’ art, Chen’s paintings were tough enough to avoid that annoying, childlike look achieved, perhaps unconsciously, by many representational artists who think that they are being adventuresome and modern.”