Born in Shanghai, China, Ji Chen is an internationally acclaimed Australian artist renowned for his expressive landscapes, masterful use of light, and bold, distinctive brushwork. With a career spanning more than four decades, his paintings are held in private and public collections throughout Australia and internationally.
Ji graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts before beginning his career as Chief Set Designer for the Beijing Opera Theatre Company. During this period, he developed the technical precision and dramatic sense of composition that continue to define his work today. His early watercolor painting Pool received a prestigious national award in China and toured in exhibitions across the country, marking the beginning of his professional career as an artist.
In 1989, Ji and his family emigrated to Australia, where he discovered an entirely new artistic landscape. The brilliant light, expansive horizons, and ever-changing atmosphere of Australia profoundly shaped his artistic vision.
"In Australia, the weather — and therefore the landscape — is the best teacher. I look, and I learn."
Inspired by the Australian environment, Ji developed a style that is instantly recognizable. His paintings combine sweeping, confident brushstrokes with remarkable softness and atmosphere, capturing not simply the appearance of a landscape but its emotion, movement, and energy. While celebrated primarily for his monumental Australian landscapes, Ji's artistic practice also extends to powerful portraiture, demonstrating the breadth and versatility of his work.
Over the course of his career, Ji Chen has become one of Australia's most respected landscape painters. His work has been recognised through numerous prestigious national awards, including the Herald Sun Camberwell Rotary Art Show Gold Medal, multiple Fleurieu Peninsula Biennale People's Choice Awards, the Victor Harbor Best in Show Award, and numerous first prizes across Australia's leading art exhibitions.
Among his most celebrated works is Rough Sea, winner of the 2005 Herald Sun Camberwell Art Show Gold Medal, one of Australia's most prestigious art awards. Chief Judge Michael Berry praised the painting for its "masterly use of broad paint-laden Zen-like brushstrokes" and described its spatial composition as "truly remarkable," comparing its sophisticated perspective and visual language to works by masters such as Bruegel, Pollock, and Matta.
Beyond competition success, Ji has exhibited extensively throughout Australia and internationally, with solo and group exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, London, New York, and China. His work has been featured in numerous publications, including Australian Artist Magazine, where his paintings have appeared on multiple occasions.
Today, Ji continues to paint from his Melbourne studio, where he remains dedicated to exploring the Australian landscape through a perspective shaped by both his Chinese heritage and decades of life in Australia. His paintings are sought after by collectors for their distinctive vision, technical mastery, and enduring emotional resonance.
MAJOR AWARDS AND PRIZES
2019 - James W Mann Piggott/Higgins Memorial Award, Hobsons Bay Art Show
2016 - Winner People's Choice Award, Tattersall's invite only 26th Landscape Art Prize.
2006 - Winner People's Choice, Fleurieu Peninsula Biennale International Art Prize
2006 - Victor Harbor Art Show, Best Oil
2005 - The Herald Sun Camberwell Rotary Art Show, Gold Medal award
2004 - Winner People's Choice, Fleurieu Peninsula Biennale International Art Prize
2002 - Winner People's Choice, Fleurieu Peninsula Biennale International Art Prize
1994 - Victor Harbor Art Show, Best in Show
For solo and group exhibitions, see Exhibitions page.
