SUN JIAPEI
	FOREWORD The 2500 year old city of Suzhou, China, also known as the Venice of the East, was once the home of Sun Jiapei. Beloved by the artist, the ancient city with its graceful character and distinctive light has always been his muse. Delicate arched bridges traverse the winding canals, while aged steps rise out of the water to meet weathered buildings of wood and stone. The air is mist-filled and still in the early morning light. Not yet disturbed by the day's traffic, the water's gentle currents reflect the landscape. This is the artist's favorite time of day. But this Suzhou, quiet and timeless, is vanishing in an onslaught of modernization and industrial expansion. The paintings that Sun Jiapei has created as part of this exhibition will stand as an artistic record of a place of history and extreme beauty that is disappearing a little further each day. Juxtaposed with the paintings of Suzhou will be works of the western cities where life also thrives along the canals and waterways...for not long after he left China, Sun Jiapei spent several years living and exploring Europe. At last, places like Venice and Bruges were not just scenes found in postcards. He discovered first hand how the early morning light illuminates the dome of Santa Maria della Salute in Venice and how the dew glimmers on the ivied walls along the Seine as it meanders through the Left Bank. Most importantly, he came face to face with the paintings of the great European masters which in his youth were forbidden to view even in books and photographs. Sun Jiapei was born in Shanghai in 1958, a time when a fine art education was as rigorous as it was restricted. As a young student, the government decreed the use of oil paints as "too western" a technique for artistic expression. Fortunately, Mr. Sun studied under teachers who themselves had been exposed to western culture and mediums before the Cultural Revolution bore down on the artistic community. They were able to impart their knowledge, and he absorbed the history of western art. Particularly, Rembrandt and Monet were to have great impact upon his work. Though restrictions had lifted somewhat and though Sun Jiapei received much recognition within China, he felt the need for greater freedom in order to evolve as a painter. In the mid 1990's, he immigrated to Japan. This would begin a time of much exploration and travel for the artist. Today, he cites the American icon, Andrew Wyeth, among his greatest inspirations. Sun Jiapei's work has now been exhibited around the world, and through his unique talent, vision and experience he creates for us places that often are no more than a memory.
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