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Andy Lee was born in Hong Kong April 16, 1974 in the year
of the Tiger. He became an American citizen in 1980 and lived
in both Chicago and Hawaii. Andy would return to Hong Kong every
summer and attend summer schools there as well as visit his
Grandparents.
Due to his unique living situation, Andy has always been a blend
of Eastern and Western cultures. Early in his life, this uncle
(a teacher) taught him Cha’an Buddhist splash style to
“keep him out of trouble.” It became the basis for
his outlook on life.
About the art: These paintings were done in the traditional
Cha’an Buddhist splash style which originated in China,
circa 13th century B.C. Emperor Cha’an ruled during this
era, making this period the Cha’an Dynasty. The Emperor
was very strict and domineering. He permitted only specific
styles of art and literature to permeate throughout his country.
Anything not approved was illegal. Linework was very tight and
the spoken/written word was extremely structured.
Because of these strict regulations, there became a backlash
of artistic expression. Buddhist monks who lived during these
times used bamboo brush, sumi ink and rice paper to “meditate”
with. They would splash paint onto the paper and interpret the
splashes and wild strokes further by adding a few lines here
and there to create a recognizable image. The monks were not
prosecuted because the paintings were deemed religious tools.
Chinese splash painting was invented this way.
Eventually, Buddhist missionaries migrated to Japan. Cha’an
Buddhism became Zen Buddhism. The splash art style also transcended
geographical boundaries as well. The Japanese popularized this
way of painting. It was officially an artform and not just a
religious practice anymore.
To paint in this way is to wander into the artists’ own
psyche. Any splash that is interpreted arguably reveals thoughts
deeper with the artist, much like dreams are interpreted
today. Rorscach Tests share similar methods of interpretation.
Andy Lee received a B.A. in Fine Arts and a minor in Biology
from Washington University, St. Louis, MO. With his knowledge
of Western Art, he has combined Eastern and Western ways of
thinking and painting into one of his first Modern Zen forms
of painting.
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