Pearls of beauty

Je Shen, an artist who, through the use of the most refined and effective painting techniques, interfaces with the public through the creation of a powerful magnetism made of light, optical illusions and drops of pure colour, true pearls of beauty applied to the canvas. We interviewed him.

Magical floral atmospheres in which colour and three-dimensional textures are constant features that accompany the viewer on a journey of visions and emotions: this is Je Shen. Do you recognise yourself?

I would say yes. I love that definition. The swirls of petals in my paintings are nothing more than a lure for the viewer's gaze. I try to create immersiveness through colour, three-dimensional texture and the illusion of movement.
I firmly believe that the beauty of reality comes from the flow of time, which leads to the succession of seasons, the ages of man and the death and rebirth of nature each year. I mainly love spring, which for me is more than just a season, but a symbol of an ideal state of mind in which we can let ourselves be carried away by the beauty of our surroundings.

Let's talk about the language of flowers. The fundamental component of your paintings, and also one of the elements that has made them iconic, is the peach blossom, which has become a symbol of your production. What does it represent for you?

I love peach blossoms. I find that they manage to convey, through every single fragile, tiny petal, the purity and beauty of nature.
The peach blossom takes on different meanings in different cultures. In China, for example, it is a symbol of immortality, while in the West it represents rebirth and strength.
Man has always been fascinated by the beauty of the blossoming of this tree: it lasts but a breath, but a breath that is eternal in beauty. The petals of the peach blossom are fragile, but at the same time their blossoming is a hymn to the power of nature that is reborn every year.
The peach blossom is like the fundamental letter of the alphabet I have designed to communicate with the viewer. I want my art to be a dialogue made up of emotions that cannot be conveyed in words.

Your poetics is the result of an original fusion of certain 19th century French artistic currents, in particular neo-impressionism, and classical Asian art? Your artistic language combines the Eastern tradition with the lessons of the European masters. Tell us about the genesis of this mixture of influences.

It is true. I have always been fascinated by that European neo-impressionist current called pointillism. I prefer to refer to it by the name its founder George Seurat used to refer to it, Chromoluminarism.
Chromoluminarism and Impressionism stem from the same need: to capture nature in its luminous essence, seeking to transfer it onto canvas through the use of pure colour. Chromoluminarism, in particular, deepened the effect of colours on the viewer's psyche. This is the fundamental and revolutionary element: the realisation of the ability of colours to influence the human soul.
What I want to convey with my art is simple: it is possible to enjoy life in every moment, you just have to want it. Painting for me is a visceral urge, but my production is also born with an altruistic intent: my swirls of petals are an invitation to let oneself be transported by beauty.