Featured: First Place International Winner

‘Hair in the Air’

“A teacher of Fine Art, a designer, no matter what titles used to be, the best description of Richard Tiejun Chao, however, is a born artist..

Richard is a Chinese artist living in Sydney, Australia. Born in a family of artistic atmosphere in 1972, Richard initiated drawing when he was only a 5-year old boy. Inheriting his grandfather, who was an artist in 1930’s China, Richard’s talent turned up at very young age. After he consecutively finished his study in Xi’an Fine Arts College, Xi’an Fine Arts Academy, and finally obtained his Master of Art in Xi’an Jiaotong University, he was well-prepared to be a professional artist.

However, being an artist is not a paved way for Richard. He used to be a teacher of fine arts for 9 years in a Chinese university and had worked as a cartoonist and a graphic designer in a Chinese newspaper for 13 years. During this period Richard had produced lots of oil painting works. It is after his settle down in Sydney in 2013, that Richard began to focus on watercolor.

Richard is an enthusiastic watercolorist with very keen sense at colors, which was initially fully reflected in his oil paintings. He also stands out for his high techniques applied in oil paintings and watercolor paintings, especially in portraits. He vividly captures the characteristics and nature of his subjects. His paintings not only witness his exquisite techniques and coloring skills, but also the deep influence of classical art upon him.

What drives him to paint with watercolor is an FAQ. Transparent watercolor is a material that is truly difficult to control. the subject’s innermost being.

Since Richard started focusing on watercolor painting, his works have won him international reputation. 2016 and 2017 are fruitful years for Richard. “The Art of Watercolor” Issue 26 reports him and introduces his painting on 6 full pages, being entitled “Richard Chao—Understanding Our Uniqueness”; in addition, “Looking into the Sky” was selected the cover painting of Issue 26. He has very good performance in international exhibitions.”

Achievements and Prizes
Interviewed and reported by the world leading watercolor journal”The Art of Watercolor”, 2017
Cover painting of Issue 26 of ”The Art of Watercolor”, 2017
“Street Drummer”, The 2nd Place, IWS India 2017 Biennale online contst, 2017
“Tibetan Sunshine”, The 2nd Place, IWS Ecuador 2017 Biennale, Ecuador,2017
“A Wrestler King’s Roaring after His Victory”, Top 10 Portrait Artist, the 2nd Tirana International Watercolor Biennale, Albania, 2017
“Hair in The Air”, NWS 2017 Annual Members Exhibition, 2017
“Mirror Lake ”, IWS Slovakia 2017 International watercolor exhibition, Ecuador, 2017
“Dance of A Spirit ”, IWS Indonesia 2017
“In the Burning Sun”, Merit Award, The 8th Continental Watercolor Art Hwa-yang Award, Taiwan, 2016
“A Mongolian Wrestler”, Top 30, Bluethumb Prize, Australia, 2016.
“A Tibetan Girl”, The First IWS Portugal International Festival, 2017
“Lest We Forget”, Finalist, Hunter’s Hill Art Exhibition, NSW, Australia, 2017
“An Aboriginal Man”, IWS First Canada International Watercolor Biennale, Canada 2016
“A Weathered Face”, IWS HK First International Watercolor Biennale, Hong Kong, China, 2016
“The Parable of seeds”, Finalist, Watercolor Exhibition of Western China Impression, Xi’an, China, 2016
“A Little Girl from Rural Western China”, Finalist, Watercolor Exhibition of Western China Impression, Xi’an, China, 2016
Watercolor Solo Exhibition, Sydney, Australia, 2016