James Lee Chiahan is a self-taught Taiwanese-Canadian artist based in Montreal. His work has been commissioned in editorial and commercial contexts for clients like Apple, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and The Walrus. In recent years, he has created several murals in both public and private settings. He has acted as interim design director for The Walrus, and is the current design lead on an ongoing brand/web refresh.

His work is held in private collections around the world and has been exhibited in Canada and the United States. He is a represented artist with Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain (PFOAC).

Statement

I am fascinated by how images can pull on the heartstrings in a universal way like a melody or a meal. The emotional capacities of painting and drawing are the driving force behind my practice.

My art lingers in the bittersweetness of life; impermanence, identity, and the lines drawn between memory and experience. I am drawn to images that have a strong emotional resonance, often depicting moments in mundanity that are deeply affecting and difficult to articulate.

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