Charles Choi
Home: Whitby, Ontario
Title: Wall of Memories
Media: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 120 x 90 cm
Website: charleschoiart.ca
Instagram: @charles_choi2002
ARTIST STATEMENT
Born in Shanghai, Charles started learning painting at the age of four. At six, he was recommended to study traditional Chinese painting at the Shanghai Youth Palace under the guidance of Cheng Duoduo, the son of Cheng Shifa. At eleven, he entered the first oil painting class at the Shanghai Oil & Sculpture Academy, igniting his passion for oil painting.
At the age of thirteen, Charles moved to Hong Kong with his family. After graduating from university, he entered the business sector and worked his way up to become an executive director in a listed company within fifteen years. He also actively pursued further education and acquired a Master degree in Business Administration.
However, in 2006, he bid farewell to the business world due to his girlfriend falling ill. Fortunately, they passed through the crisis of illness and settled down, eventually moving to Canada where Charles revived his dream of becoming an artist.
In 2009, he pursued further studies at the Second Studio of the Oil Painting Department of the China Academy of Arts, studying under the guidance of Ho Hongzhou, Chen Yiming, Sun Jinggang, and Wang Yutian.
Charles is currently a member of the China Artists Association, the Canadian Artists Association, the Ontario Artists Association, and a director of the Hong Kong Oil Painting Research Association. He has won numerous awards at major art exhibitions both domestically and internationally, including the Canada SSNAP National Biennial Exhibition People’s Choice Award, the 148th OSA Annual Exhibition Outstanding Award, the Kingston’s Prize Finalists for two consecutive years, the 2nd Arts and Letters National Art Exhibition Gold Award, and the SCA Member Annual Exhibition Gold Award. His works have been selected for exhibitions such as the MEAM Exhibition in Spain, the Jackson Prize Exhibition in the UK, the Beijing International Biennial Exhibition, the Da Fen International Oil Painting Biennial Exhibition for two consecutive years, the National Young and Middle-aged Oil Painting Exhibition in China, and he has been selected for three consecutive editions of the China National Art Exhibition. He has also served as the judge for the annual exhibition of the Canadian Artists Association.
His artworks have been widely collected by oil painting enthusiasts, art galleries and museums in China, Hong Kong, Canada, the United States, Australia, Japan, Singapore, France, and other countries. In recent years, he has been dedicated to using his paintings for charitable purposes, organizing art exhibitions for the public to enjoy for free and donating his artworks to society.