Dan Xu’s BIO
“Please pass me a Chinese brush when I am sitting in the wilderness，
Please give me a Xuan paper when I am in the woods.
I would open the third space for you and look back at the past world.
I would like to open the door for you, through the tunnel of space, and look back at your homeland.”
Dan Xu is a trained traditional Chinese painter, who has developed a unique and enchanting artistic style. Her delicate ink and washes, applied with a wool brush on Xuan paper, reveal a deep sensitivity to the natural world. Xu's artistic journey has been shaped by her immigration to Canada from China, where she began exploring the ancient Chinese landscape aerial perspectives that had disappeared 600 years ago. Her pursuit of these perspectives has led her to incorporate Plein air painting techniques, enabling her to capture the stunning natural beauty of Canada's Maritime landscape.
Xu's approach is both ethereal and grounded. While viewers can readily recognize the iconic landmarks and features of the Fundy landscape, her work also evokes a sense of timelessness and mystery. Her art invites us to open our minds to new ways of seeing the world, and to look back at the past with fresh eyes. Xu's work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions across Canada and China, and her paintings are held in the public collections of the New Brunswick Art Bank.
Xu is a highly accomplished artist, and her dedication and skill have been recognized with numerous grants and awards, including funding from ArtsNB and the Canada Council for the Arts. She earned a BA from the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in China in 1992 and is currently based in Saint John, New Brunswick. Xu's work represents a fusion of cultural traditions, a testament to the power of art to transcend boundaries and connect people across time and space.
“Please pass me a Chinese brush when I am sitting in the wilderness，
Please give me a Xuan paper when I am in the woods.
I would open the third space for you and look back at the past world.
I would like to open the door for you, through the tunnel of space, and look back at your homeland.”
Dan Xu is a trained traditional Chinese painter, who has developed a unique and enchanting artistic style. Her delicate ink and washes, applied with a wool brush on Xuan paper, reveal a deep sensitivity to the natural world. Xu's artistic journey has been shaped by her immigration to Canada from China, where she began exploring the ancient Chinese landscape aerial perspectives that had disappeared 600 years ago. Her pursuit of these perspectives has led her to incorporate Plein air painting techniques, enabling her to capture the stunning natural beauty of Canada's Maritime landscape.
Xu's approach is both ethereal and grounded. While viewers can readily recognize the iconic landmarks and features of the Fundy landscape, her work also evokes a sense of timelessness and mystery. Her art invites us to open our minds to new ways of seeing the world, and to look back at the past with fresh eyes. Xu's work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions across Canada and China, and her paintings are held in the public collections of the New Brunswick Art Bank.
Xu is a highly accomplished artist, and her dedication and skill have been recognized with numerous grants and awards, including funding from ArtsNB and the Canada Council for the Arts. She earned a BA from the Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute in China in 1992 and is currently based in Saint John, New Brunswick. Xu's work represents a fusion of cultural traditions, a testament to the power of art to transcend boundaries and connect people across time and space.
