Jun Chen was born in China in 1960 and migrated to Australia in 1990. He trained in painting at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and later the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. In China, Chen was a brush and ink painter; in Australia he reinvented himself as an oil painter using paint thickly applied with a palette knife to capture landscapes, nudes and still lifes. The artist is a regular finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes and his work is included  in the collections of Parliament House, Canberra, and in private collections in Australia and Asia.

Harmony and dynamism duel for attention throughout the interwoven colours executed in short and long swaths of oil paint. The perfection of Chen's placement and tonal understanding—combined with the clarity of colour give strength to his unbroken vision of the world of contemplation.

Chen's rich, dynamic oils are eagerly sought after. His painting is amongst the most recognisable of contemporary painters working in Australia today.

Article by Louise Martin-Chew in Artist Profile, Jan 2018