Chang Wan Jin

I was born in 1993 in South Korea and have enjoyed drawing instinctively since I was young. Drawing has always been my best hobby and friend throughout my growth.

I entered the Department of Fine Art at Daegu Catholic University in 2013. A year later, I joined the Korean army and drew portraits of many Korean Army generals and politicians, including the Army Chief of Staff. During that time, I had the desire to study abroad, so I traveled to New York to continue my studies.

After being discharged from the army in 2016, I held two solo exhibitions and participated in one group show. In 2017, I went to study at the Art Students League of New York, where I was awarded a four-year, full-time course with Sharon Sprung, a New York realism artist. I am currently working on my personal projects in New York.

Most of my paintings are hyperrealistic portraits. It is especially challenging to paint a living character realistically, as if it were alive. The difficulty lies in the fact that human skin contains tens of thousands of colors, depending on the blood vessels flowing through it and the light it reflects. But when it is perfectly expressed, it gives a natural feeling of life. This process also requires extensive in-depth study and research, including anatomical knowledge and understanding. I feel a great sense of achievement and satisfaction when I complete something successfully.

I fell in love with hyperrealistic painting after seeing the work of the Chinese painter Leng Jun. His work inspired me, and I wanted to paint like him. I felt the impression left by the limited skills of humans and the hard work that others could not easily challenge.

I pursue authentic hyperrealism because, while the current era is booming with abstract paintings and modern art varieties, the extreme detail of hyperrealism is not to be ignored.

The entire process requires significant time, with large paintings taking one to three years to complete. My work is always completed with skill and sincerity. I take and use all my reference pictures, and work with an intrinsically creative spirit and uniquely artistic craftsmanship.


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