JACKSON (Chih-Hsiung) CHIEN
Artist in Residence is an ongoing programme that invites artists from various fields and professions to create projects and activities in collaboration with Coquitlam Heritage. The programme’s purpose is to reflect the diversity and abilities of artists in our community, providing them with a platform to research, develop new work, and host workshops.
SENIOR-IN-RESIDENCE
Jackson (Chih-Hsiung) Chien is our 2024 Intergenerational Sharing Project Senior-in-Residence. The Intergenerational Sharing Project aims to connect seniors with other generations to pass on skills and ideas they have learned throughout their lives. Seniors play a vital role in our community as knowledge keepers, and this project allows for this knowledge to be shared and preserved with the younger generation. Our Intergenerational Sharing Project is made possible by the New Horizons for Seniors Program which grants funding for projects that make a difference in the lives of seniors and their communities.
ABOUT
Jackson (Chih-Hsiung) Chien 簡志雄 was born in Taoyuan, Taiwan, in 1951 and holds a B.A. in Fine Arts from National Taiwan Normal University (台灣師範大學美術系). Over a career spanning more than 30 years as an artist and art educator in Taiwan, Jackson immigrated to Canada in the mid-2000s, where he expanded his artistic practice internationally.
Chien’s art encompasses a wide range of media, including oil painting, watercolor, pastel, ceramics, printmaking, and mixed media. His works reflect his deep exploration of Eastern philosophy and right-brain/spatial thinking, which he integrates into his interdisciplinary practice. His watercolor piece House (「屋」) earned third place in Taiwan’s 7th National Fine Art Exhibition (全國美展) in 1974 and was collected by the National Art Education Hall (國立台灣藝術教育館). In 1979, his work The Lane with Sunshine (「陽光小徑」) won first place at the Taipei Teacher’s Fine Art Exhibition (台北市教師美展), and his printmaking Many Houses (「多房子」) received a Bronze Medal at Japan's International New Printmaking Exhibition (日本國際新孔版畫展) in 1993.
Chien's accolades include being listed in the "World Chinese Artists Yearbook" (世界華人美術名家年鑑) in 1996 and receiving Taiwan’s first Teacher of Excellence Award (師鐸獎). His environmental education through art was recognized with an Excellence Award for Contributions to Environmental Education in Taiwan (台灣推展環境教育有功優等獎). He also received the distinguished Mudu Award (木鐸獎) from Taiwan’s United Education Federation (台灣教育聯合會) for outstanding contributions to education.
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Current Roles:
Board of Director of the Canadian Chinese Cultural and Artistic Association (加拿大中華文化藝術總會)
President of the Taiwan Children’s Art and Education Foundation (臺灣兒童藝術文教基金會)
Founder of Chien Art Studio (藝象萬千藝術工作室) in Vancouver
Chien is a member of several prestigious art associations, including the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA) (加拿大聯邦藝術家協會), the Vancouver Art Guild (溫哥華藝術家協會), the Fifth Moon Group (台灣五月畫會), and the North Shore Artists' Guild (北岸藝術學會). He has been invited to exhibit and lecture internationally, including exhibitions in Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles, and New York.
Recent notable projects include:
2018: Live painting performance at the National Concert Hall in Taipei (國家音樂廳), accompanying The Huaxia Symphony (華夏交響曲).
2019-present: Founded “Jackson Chien Art Studio” (簡志雄藝術工作室) in Vancouver’s Chinatown, promoting international art and education exchange.
2020: Solo exhibition Diversity and Excellence (多元多彩、邁向卓越) at Vancouver’s Canadian Multicultural Center (加拿大多元文化中心), with an opening during the Taiwanese New Year’s Flag Raising Ceremony.
2020-2022: Exhibited at Japan’s Osaka City Art Museum (大阪市立美術館), Kyoto Art Museum (京都美術館), and participated in the 2022 Venice Biennale (威尼斯國際雙年展).
2021: Live painting performances at Taiwan’s National Day Celebration opening performance at the Vancouver Convention Centre and a cross-disciplinary multimedia residency at Morrow.
2021 - Present: Chien is collaborating with his son, Sammy Chien, on an intergenerational new media art project titled Ritual-Spective 迴融, produced by Chimerik 似不像. This ongoing project explores the intersection of traditional and contemporary art forms, blending digital media with Chien’s visual art practices. The project is supported by Canada’s federal and provincial arts funding, and it reflects a deep exploration of cultural heritage, identity, and the evolving relationship between generations through art.
Chien’s art philosophy centers around the belief that artistic expression transcends medium and subject matter, aiming to elevate the harmony of the mind, body, and spirit through sincere communication and compassion. His work is recognized for its integration of traditional and contemporary themes, vibrant use of color, and exploration of cultural identity.
Chien’s artwork has been collected by private collectors and esteemed institutions such as the Chang Liu Art Museum (長流美術館) and the National Taiwan Arts Education Center (國立台灣藝術教育館).
He actively promotes the cultural exchange of Taiwanese and Canadian art, with his Vancouver studio serving as a hub for artistic collaboration and education.
