Artwork: Night Owl
Artist: Hua Tunan
About the Work: Chinese artist Hua Tunan (born Chen Yingjie) is a leading figure in the nation’s art community.
His work combines traditional Chinese artform with a Jackson Pollock-esque splatter effect, enhanced by a twist of street art style.
Tunan’s colourful, chaotic process is perfectly encapsulated in Night Owl, an image which sees the titular animal forming from trails and splashes of ink on the page. Owls are generally seen as an ominous creature in Chinese folklore, but Tunan’s work seems to inspire their reputation in the West as symbols of wisdom; it is as if the animal has the entire universe caged within itself.
Night Owl marked one of the few times that Tunan’s work has been available for sale to the public, with the 35 limited prints selling quickly.
It’s on the larger canvases that the artist’s process really shines. Behold 醉虎图 – translated as Roaring Tiger – and many other incredible pieces on his Tumblr page.
You can also visit Hua Tunan’s official website here.