Dan Chen Works

The well-known art of Dan Chen is a marriage of the finest qualities of eastern and western art style and technique. Born in China, his love affair with art began at age three while watching his father paint. The older Chen was self-taught. As a youth, Dan was introduced to master artists who helped him hone his skills of observation. For years, he worked under the critical eye of his mentors before he was allowed to display his art at a state show. More than twenty years have passed since that first showing. Moving to the Pacific Northwest from San Francisco engendered in Dan a love of wildlife and he depicts the creatures he finds there in his beautiful bronzes. Instead of using wood or clay, Dan uses a wax or oil based sculpting medium depending on the size and complexity of the subject. He uses the “lost wax” method in casting in combination with a new method that uses a fine ceramic shell to ensure the finest detail. After casting, he will re-sculpt any imperfections to the original texture and he does his own patinas applying various chemicals to give the pieces the desired color and texture. Dan Chen is a truly remarkable artist. He is an expert in many different mediums, including: Over Glaze Painting, Pastel Pencil, Charcoal Drawing, Illustrations, Airbrush, Slip-Cast Ceramics, Raku Pottery, Porcelain and Stoneware, Soft Pastel, Scratch Board & Intaglio Print, Bronze Sculpture and Oil Painting. Because Dan is a modest man, when asked if he wanted to be known as a painter, ceramicist, or sculptor, he simply said, “artist.”