Tan Suz Chiang

Tan Suz Chiang (b.1974) graduated from the Central Academy of Art, Malaysia. He is a Signature Member of the American Watercolor Society (AWS) and the National Watercolor Society (NWS), and a member of the Australian Watercolour Institute, Malaysian Watercolour Society, and Singapore Watercolour Society.

Known for blending representational painting with elements of Abstract Expressionism, Suz Chiang creates vibrant watercolours inspired by emotion and nature. An avid plein air painter, he has received numerous international awards, including First Prize at the Northwest Watercolor Society (USA), the Lushan International Watercolor Art Festival, and the Winsor & Newton Award from the Royal Watercolour Society (UK).

His work has been featured on the cover of Watercolor Artist magazine and published in The Art of WatercolourSplash 17Splash 18, and Asian Art News.

Words from 平龙, an award winning artist who is serving as the vice chairman of Shanghai Artist Association, Committee Chairman of Watercolor & Pastel Art Committee of Shanghai and a professor/ master at School of Art & Design, Shanghai University of Engineering Science:

水色边界 回望之间

很早,在清凉的庐山上,我第一次结识了来自马来西亚的水彩画家陈书强,初见书强这个名字便令我印象深刻,再见书强的作品同样亦是风格独到。我发现,在那些年,当许多水彩画家还惯常用具象的形于色描写自然的时候,书强已经开始用他个人的水彩语言书写其内心故事了。在以后的数年间,我常常在多种媒体上看到他发表的新作,每每所见,我总能从他的作品中见到其新的艺术语汇的注入,作品的形式的边界在他画笔下不断拓宽。水彩在他的手中,不再是描摹物象的工具,而是成为他表达思想的载体。从他的系列作品看,那些富有变化的点、线、面所传导的信息已不局限于单纯的视觉表达,而是他追溯记忆、体会自然与自己内心对话的方式,作品集《边界·回声》,正是他艺术旅程中一次深邃而动人的驻足与回望。
在书强的作品中,承载了他许多童年的记忆:马来西亚那狭窄的巷弄、错落的窗口、参差的屋顶、那些不规则的房屋轮廓…,在他心中早早就种下了对“边界”的独到感悟。但有趣的是,对于书强而言,这种童年记忆并未将其困于生活的局限,而是触发了他在作品中对空间、分隔与连接的持续探索的兴趣。在后来的旅行中,尤其当他面对挪威巍峨浩瀚的自然奇观时,他领悟到,边界从来不是一道僵硬的线,而是流动的、可对话的、充满生命力的场域,故而在其作品中,童年生活经历的“小边界”与大自然的“无边界”在这本作品集中形成了一种绝妙的回声。
我们知道一名优秀艺术家其文化观念的养成离不开他生于斯长于斯的母体营养,在书强的作品中,马来西亚蜡染文化中那种绚烂细腻之美,婆娑旖旎的光色之美都被他化为水彩丰富的肌理和变化无穷的水色世界,成为他叙述记忆与情感的重要符号。
书强是一位悟性极高的艺术家,在当今纷繁多样的艺术发展谱系中,书强直接切入个人的表达图式,并为此“一以贯之”,始终将“抽象”视为一种提纯的智慧,深刻地直抵本质,成为他与这个世界对话的方式,也成为他理解自我的路径。
《边界·回声》作品集分三个系列,分别是:时间与存在、城市与空间、力量与边境,三个系列犹如三部乐章,构成了一部完整的视觉交响。
《边界·回声》通过“时间与存在”系列中那层层堆叠的记忆,“城市与空间”中那线条与色块拼合的心理地图,“力量与边境”中那自然之力、社会之力、内心之力等多种元素构筑交织成了丰富多彩的画面语言,我想,《边界·回声》中的这些作品,定能给观者带来美妙视觉体验以及不同角度的启示。


平龙
2025年10月12日于上海

MAJOR EXHIBITIONS, COLLECTIONS


Solo Exhibition
2025 “13th solo art Exhibition”, Boundaries And Echoes, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2024 “12th solo art Exhibition”, Taipei, Taiwan
2023 “11th solo art Exhibition” Supreme Splendor, Shanghai & Guangzhou, China
2023 “10th solo art Exhibition” Life & State in Nature, Singapore
2019 “9th solo art Exhibition” Watercolour Circle, Shanghai, China
2019 “ Tan Suz Chiang solo exhibition”, Dongnan Art Museum, Suzhou, China
2018 “ Virtual & Real ” Batu Gallery , Malaysia
2017 “ 6th solo “ Shenzhen International Art Fair, China
2016 "No Limits" Y2ARTS Gallery, Singapore

Memberships
Signature Member of American Watercolor Society (AWS), USA
Signature Member of National Watercolor Society (NWS), USA
Australian Watercolor Institute (AWI)
Malaysian Watercolor Society
Singapore Watercolor Society