Artists - Part 57

 Julian Hsiung

Julian Hsiung was born in Beijing in 1949 and raised in Taiwan.  He was not exposed to Western culture until the 1960s, when he discovered Western magazines and books, which deeply affected his visual tastes.  He studied at Overseas Chinese University in Taiwan, then moved to New York, where he worked in the fashion industry.  He set up an artist's studio in Brooklyn in 2007, and he describes himself as a self-taught figurative artist.

Above, a recent photo of Hsiung with his painting Two Guys #1 in the background (we'll see more about it later).

Two paintings from 2023, Sticky Finger (left) and Behind the Barn Door (right).  Hsiung says they were inspired by Chinese gate guard gods that always stand side by side at the front door.

David, 2021.  Hsiung says he wanted to turn Michelangelo's David into a real person with "correct anatomy."  Presumably he is referring to the rather small penis on Michelangelo's statue.  The strange objects in the painting must mean something.  The apple might refer to Adam and Eve, but what about the stag beetle, the skull necklace, and the butterfly?  Is the Monarch butterfly a punning reference that David is destined to become king?

Hsiung seems to enjoy painting figures with "correct anatomy", as seen in Heads Up, 2023, above.

This is Hiram, 2022.

Morning Wood, 2019.

Hsiung provided an interesting glimpse into the process of painting by posting photos of paintings in various stages of completion on his Facebook site.  This is the first stage of the painting 2 Guys #1, starting out as an oil sketch on linen.

The next stage was grisaille, oil painting in shades of gray.  This will blend with the colors that are added later to add depth.

Partway through adding color and background details.

And here's the finished painting 2 Guys #1, 2024.  "It took me 4 months to finish it," says Hsiung.