Jason Chi-Han Cheng
San Francisco, California • jasonchihancheng.com
The Artist’s Magazine Annual Art Competition 2016 Finalist
COMPETITION SPOTLIGHT
alone with him; he had been
unconscious for days. All of a
sudden, he woke up. He was
trying to tell me something.
I said, “It’s OK, Grandpa. If
you’re too tired and you want
to go, that’s fi ne.” The whole
room fi lled with holiness,
with a spirit. After that he
passed away. The gold fl akes
indicate that moment; the
swirl of the fabric is in the
Japanese tradition—it also
appears in tattoos. ■
I’M A TATTOO ARTIST; I
fi nd the process profound
because the needle pene-
trates the skin. I’ve wanted to
incorporate that meaning into
the fi ne arts so that every
image represents a story. I
was born in Taipei. As an
MFA student at the Academy
of Art University, I was study-
ing abroad in Italy when my
mother called to say that my
grandpa was in the hospital.
My grandpa raised me; I look
like him; we have a great
bond. I decided to come
back. At the hospital, I was
COMPETITION SPOTLIGHT ARTISTS ARE CHOSEN FROM COMPETITION
FINALISTS, IN THIS CASE FROM THE STUDENT DIVISION. LOOK FOR THE
JAN/FEB 2017 ISSUE TO SEE THE WINNERS OF THE 2016 COMPETITION.ABOVE: The Crossing (oil
on three panels, 26x40)88 artistsmagazine.com
88_tam1216Spotlight.indd 88 9/22/16 8:35 AM