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Jiang Tiefeng
The
Progress of Jiang’s Career Jiang’s work quickly gained prominence
and even the repressive authorities had to concede his talent. He
became one of the most well-known illustrators of children’s books
in China. In 1974 he illustrated “Two Little Peacocks.” In 1976 he
designed the animated cartoon of the same book. In 1978, Jiang began
to teach as an Associate Professor at the Yunnan Art Academy, where
he would continue until 1983. In 1979, the Chinese Government
commissioned him to paint a mural representing Yunnan Province for
the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. This was the “Stone Forest”
mural, one of Jiang’s finest works.
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For
Jiang, success followed success. In 1979 he illustrated “The Secret
of Jinchun Tree,” which won the first prize as the best illustrated
book out of Jiangsu Province. His painting “The Legend of the Water
Sprinkling Festival of the Dai” was featured in the documentary film
“Yunnan Scene.” In 1980 the illustrated books “Little Red Riding
Hood”; “The Ugly Duckling”; and “A Shi Ma” were published. For “A
Shi Ma” Jiang was awarded Second Place in an international United
Nations competition of illustrated books. In 1981, Jiang’s work was
featured in the “10 Artists From Yunnan” show in Beijing, and then,
in 1982, was prominently featured at a show in Hong Kong, which also
featured the Yunnan artists as well as some of their followers.
In
1982 a National Geographic reporter who was doing a story on China
saw Jiang’s paintings, and brought some back to the U.S. A friend
of the reporter brought them to the Fingerhut Gallery in
Minneapolis, where Jiang’s work met with great success. In 1983,
Jiang came to the United States as part of a cultural exchange
program with the University of Southern California, where he became
a visiting Professor of Art. Under the sponsorship of Allan
Fingerhut, Jiang moved to Minnesota with his wife Zhaolin.
For
Jiang TieFeng, success in America quickly followed. His rich, strong
color, and exotic but intimate imagery struck an immediate response
with the American public. Jiang’s talent and uniqueness quickly
brought his work to the attention of critics and museum curators
nationwide, and this resulted in many public exhibitions.
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