"An important technique that I continue to develop in my practice is the “explosive free calligraphy stroke.” It’s a traditional technique that takes a lot of training because there are certain fundamental skills, such as how you hold and control the brush. The balance of image and empty space is another essential element. Some Chinese masterpieces might contain only a single stroke. Maintaining balance is something I try to keep in mind as I work."
Chinese-Finnish artist Canal Cheong Jagerroos 張彤茹 integrates time-honored techniques from traditional Chinese art, symbols, and language into her mixed-media abstract paintings and immersive installation exhibitions. A process of deconstruction and reconstruction forms the basis of her multi-layered works, beginning with large rice paper ink drawings that she tears into pieces. These fragments are reformed into new compositions with paint and diverse materials, creating a distinctive visual language. The synthesis between Cheong Jagerroos’ different techniques and visual elements influenced by both East and West reflects her experience moving between these worlds.
Over the past 30 years, she has lived and worked in numerous countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Her practice is consciously and subconsciously influenced by her experiences in these culturally diverse places. Cheong Jagerroos was born in Macau, China.
She lives and works between Helsinki and Shanghai and has exhibited extensively worldwide. Her ongoing installation project Floating Island, and co-founded art project Blue and Red have been shown in numerous art museums in China and Finland since 2018, including Korundi Rovaniemi Art Museum, Joensuu Art Museum, Jyväskylä Art Museum, and Salo Art Museum in Finland, and the Xian Art Museum in China.