Yu Chuan

Yu-Chuan Chang (b. 1982, Taipei) is a Taiwanese contemporary artist who graduated from the Department of Sculpture at the National Taiwan University of Arts. His work has been exhibited in Milan, Florence, Japan, Korea, New York, and Shanghai, gaining recognition from collectors worldwide—including Sir Paul Smith, Jackie Chan, Dr. Kai-Fu Lee, and Mrs. Bader of the World Bank Group.

Raised in a family immersed in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, Chang was deeply influenced by the expressive spirit of ink from an early age. While in school, he began exploring how oil paint could mirror the flowing, spontaneous nature of ink—capable of bleeding, drifting, and splashing. Through years of experimentation, he developed a unique technique that allows oil colors to flow with poetic fluidity, merging the aesthetics of Eastern ink with Western expressionism.

Chang’s early Mythical Beast series marked the beginning of his distinctive visual language. Over time, he expanded into multiple series—including florals, animals, landscapes, and stones—drawing inspiration from nature’s rhythms, textures, and elemental energy. His brushwork captures the tension between control and spontaneity, tradition and innovation.

Sometimes referencing classical Chinese masters like Zheng Banqiao and Bada Shanren, Chang reinterprets ancient imagery through a modern lens. Other times, he disrupts tradition entirely—freely splashing paint and breaking down forms to express raw emotion. His works are filled with life: animals seem to leap from the canvas, and flowers pulse with breath and movement.

As he puts it:

“What defines me is not subject matter, but how I use brushwork, color, and flow to leave a mark in the history of art.”