George Chann

Oil on masonite
40 x 85 cm. 15 3/4 x 33 1/2 in.
Signed in English on lower right
Provenance：
Property from the Collection of Crystal Cathedral， U.S.A.
The Road Taken Alone： George Chann’s Oil Painting
George Chann was born in Guangdong， China in 1913， and went to the U.S.A with his father after finishing high school education at the age of 12. His artistic career started in 1933. He entered the Otis Institute of Arts in Los Angeles， where he received solid training in sketches and oil painting. He earned his master’s degree in fine arts， and his works were exhibited in galleries and museums in San Francisco， New York， Los Angeles
Living in the U.S.A， Chann had a highly expressionist painting style. He depicted the universal characteristics of children but not that of a particular child， which is a style in line with Bay Area Figurative Painting. Although his style gradually changed to abstract expressionism， Chann showed no intention to ‘act instead of think’. He integrated an orientedness into his abstract expressionist style， showing his Chinese identity and
Apart from abstract paintings， Chann also created series of unique portrait paintings， which was an integral part of his artistic career. The three pieces being presented this time， Jesus and His Disciples in the Fields， God’s Great Creation and Moses and his Staff were based on the artist’s experience of going to the Crystal Cathedral when he lived in Los Angeles. He created about 250 religious portraits based on the Bible， and he
As a Chinese painter， Chann injected his traditional culture into the mainstream art scene in the west. He took a unique road of art， and his works show that he was faithful to the traditions， while being creative at the same time.