Today we’d like to introduce you to Hung-ju Kan

Hi Hung-ju , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

Hung-Ju Kan was born in Taiwan and graduated from the Department of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy at the National Taiwan University of Arts in 2015. In 2020, Kan obtained his MEA in Painting from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. He is currently based in New York.
Trained in two different systems, he began exploring the relationship between time and emotion, drawing inspiration from the daily objects and life. Through the technique of transfer printing, his works are repeatedly layered and intertwined.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

The path hasn’t been all that smooth. Choosing a career in art means not only facing practical financial considerations but also dealing with creative bottlenecks. Additionally, the most important challenge is the preferences of the commercial market and the current mainstream art trends. You have to find a balance between creation and the realities of making a living. In addition to creating, I also have teaching responsibilities to cover my other living expenses. I believe that only under these circumstances can I create effectively.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

In a manner reminiscent of British Romanticism, Kan merges Eastern and Western perceptions of color and space, incorporating floral fabrics that accompanied his childhood into his paintings. His brushstrokes reflect the fusion of Eastern and Western visual expressions, balancing the understanding of “less is more” between the two systems while preserving the Eastern philosophy of negative space, as in the phrase “Eluding sight, eluding touch, The forms of things all in it crouch” and presenting it in a Western visual context. At the same time, he transforms his work into a poetic realm of imagination.
In his paintings, delicate and dynamic strokes are intertwined, embodying the harmonious coexistence of Eastern and Western art philosophies. His works have been exhibited in numerous renowned exhibitions, including the Smith Center at Harvard University in 2019, a solo exhibition in Boston in 2021, the Taipei Art Fair in 2022, and a solo exhibition in New York in 2024.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I observed a phenomenon: when the pandemic broke out, all galleries were unable to operate, so they shifted to online galleries for exhibitions or sales. This trend was very popular at the time, but once the pandemic subsided, most of the online gallery formats disappeared. Humanity’s pursuit of art or exhibitions returned to physical viewing. This gave me great insight—there still needs to be a tangible interaction between people and artworks. The visual impact of physical presence far exceeds that of the virtual.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kan_hungju/

Image Credits

instagram:@weita_life