Lost in freedom and peace Print

Li-Jia Fan was born in Shanghai, China in 1948. He became interested in painting early on in his youth and was always drawing a lot, even at a young age. However, due to various circumstances — like the Cultural revolution in China — he was forced into many different, emotional situations. After losing both his parents, he chose to travel to the West. Not knowing where to go, Li-Jia went from country to country. Through Italy, France, and Belgium, where he eventually ended up in the Netherlands. There he met his future wife, Lingja. It wasn't until the nineties that his life started to settle down and he started to put his first brush strokes on canvas. Using his knowledge of anatomy and drawing and painting techniques, Li-Jia creates paintings with an Asian touch, inspired by his rich life-experiences. As a self-taught man, he came a long way since then. His pursuit to a form of perfection has taught him a lot. His source of inspiration is the Chinese philosophy. The mystical and imperceptible influence his paintings. In 2007, Li-Jia Fan joined the artists society Kunstliefde ('Art Love'). Founded in 1807, this is one of the oldest societies in the Netherlands. It has been housed in the Nobelstraat in the Dutch city of Utrecht since 1939. In 2008 Li-Jia was awarded the Hans van Dokkum Price. This award is granted annually to an active member of Kunstliefde for their paintings, watercolours, drawings, and/or prints for which the visible reality has been the source of inspiration. For this, the design may differ from reality, as long as it remains recognisable.