EAST MEETS WEST
March 30 - April 12, Open House: April 9, 6-8pm
Scottsdale, Arizona

Trailside Galleries in Scottsdale, Arizona is pleased to present its annual EAST MEETS WEST Exhibition and Sale beginning March 30 and continuing through April 12.  The show will feature a variety of new works by leading Chinese painters Mian Situ, Calvin Liang, Jie Wei Zhou, Huihan Liu and James Jiang and Xiaogang Zhu.

It has been 15 years now since the gallery first began representing artists from the Chinese mainland. These painters brought a whole new dynamic to the gallery with their strict, formal, academic training.  Just as important, they also brought an unabashed enthusiasm that comes from having the opportunity to paint whatever subjects they were passionate about - something that up until the demise of the Cultural Revolution in 1976 would have been strictly forbidden.  The chance to travel west literally opened up a whole new world to these artists and they were quick to seize the opportunity to move to the Western Hemisphere and pursue their artistic visions.

Mian Situ was born in Guangdong, China and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts and his Masters in Fine Art from the Guangzhou Institute of Fine Art.  During his schooling, he experimented with various artistic styles; impressionism, post-impressionism and expressionism, and was deeply influenced by 19th century European academic realism that traveled to Russia and was eventually imported to China.  After teaching at the institute for six years, he moved to Canada and eventually relocated to the United States. Mian’s paintings reflect his rural upbringing in the countryside of his native China. He has also become highly recognized for his major canvases depicting western historical themes and American landscapes. He has received numerous awards, including every top award at the annual Masters of the American West Exhibition and Sale held at the Gene Autry National Center in Los Angeles.

Calvin Liang was born in Canton, China, and completed his education at the Shanghai Academy of Fine Art, recognized as one of China’s most prestigious and competitive art academies. In China, his skills as a fine artist were applied to the theatrical industry, where he designed and created sets for operas and musical dramas for the Canton Opera Institute.  Calvin immigrated to the United States in 1987 where he worked for the animation studios of Disney and Nickelodeon before becoming a full time artist.  Inspired by seascapes close to his California home as well as European subjects, Calvin’s impressionist works are infused with vibrant color and masterful brushwork.  He is a Master Signature Member of Oil Painters of America as well as a Signature Member of the California Art Club and the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.

Jie Wei Zhou is a master realist who works in oil, watercolor and acrylic. Born in Shanghai P.R. China, Zhou studied Russian and French painting styles, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Shanghai Normal University and a Masters in Fine Art from the Shanghai Drama Institute.   Based in Colorado, Zhou is recognized for his stunning figural works that primarily depict the tribal peoples of Tibet, Mongolia and China. He has always loved painting the rich costumes and cultures of these people. He often uses his wife and daughter as models.  Zhou still returns to China on a yearly basis to take photographs and gather reference material for his studio paintings.

Huihan Liu was born in Guangzhou, China in 1952 and immigrated to America in 1987. He was trained at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and a Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco in 1989. Huihan’s wide range of subject matter includes figurative, still-life and landscape pieces rendered in an Impressionistic style with a soft, warm palette. His figurative paintings often depict the Tibetan people and their lifestyles. Huihan is a member of the California Art Club and a Master Signature member of the Oil Painters of America.

Born in Southern China, James Jiang began his study of painting at the age of 7, with a focus on still portraits. He graduated from the University of Art of Canton with an extensive background in the techniques used by many successful artists. In 1992 he immigrated to the United States and currently lives with his family in the Phoenix area.  Characterizing his painting style as “California Impressionism,” he strives to capture the details that bring his paintings to life. Whether paining a simple portrait or a more complex subject, each painting is imbued with masterful brushwork and jewel like colors.   Jiang is a current member of the California Art Club and Oil Painters of America.

Since 1963, Trailside Galleries of Jackson, Wyoming and Scottsdale, Arizona has been regarded as one of the pre-eminent dealers in American representational art, specializing in a rich and varied collection of works by the leading western, wildlife, figurative, impressionist, and landscape artists in the country. The artist roster includes members of the Cowboy Artists of America, National Academy of Design, Oil Painters of America, Plein-Air Painters of America, Prix De West, Society of Animal Artists, National Sculpture Society and Masters of the American West.

Please contact Kimberly C. Fletcher, Marketing & Communications Director at 480.945.7751 or email media@trailsidegalleries.com for further information and images.