Artist’s Statement:

“Tradition, Nature and Inspiration”

Tradition is embedded in the cultural heritage of the world. For an artist to reach the peak and achieve artistic eternity, he needs to be conversant with things present and past, drawing from the best of all traditions. Nature is mother of all things and the fountain of artistic creativity. An artist should draw inspiration from nature. Only by doing so could he create art that is one with nature. An artistic perception is an artist’s direct experience of and spiritual transcendence over the universe, an individual experience and an instant equilibrium. What I pursue is art confirmed by my own life. I endeavor to draw inspiration from nature on the basis of tradition, to express my inner self, to immerse myself into my works and to achieve a new equilibrium.

Bio:

CONG, Zhiyuan earned a BFA and an MFA in Chinese painting from Nanjing Arts Institute, and an MFA in printmaking from Indiana University. He is currently Professor and Head of the Printmaking Program, and Director of the Center for Chinese Art at William Paterson University of New Jersey. His prior positions include consultant to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and Professor of Nanjing Arts Institute.

Cong has been invited to give art demonstrations and lectures at more than 100 higher education institutions and museums including Chicago Art Institute, Princeton University. He has held more than 20 solo exhibitions and over hundred group exhibitions, including those at United Nations Headquarters, New York; The Olympic Fine Arts Exhibition 2012, London; National Art Museum of China, Beijing and The Butler Institute of American Art, Ohio.

Besides his exhibitions, Cong has earned 2012 Gold Award in the 27th Annual Educational Advertising Awards for his project, The First-Place Award, The American States Arts Competition –1993 Exhibition for his work, Chinese Cultural Ambassador Award , New Jersey Chinese-American Chamber of Commerce, 2012 for his service.

His art works have been collected by the National Art Museum of China, Nanjing Museum of Art, American International Group, Inc., and many other museums and companies. His publications include three Art books, five catalogues, refereed articles in professional arts journals, and had more than forty of his art works reproduced in professional art journals, books, magazine, and catalogues including Fine Arts, National Art Museum of China, Beijing China; Oriental Art, London; Orientations, Hong Kong; Zhiyuan Cong: an Admirable Art Ambassador, Macau; Imprint of times: Blue Film Etching, Taipei.