Chau Yih Yu (Heshi), born in Mainland China in 1935, is one of the few overseas contemporary Chinese artists who successfully bridged the Asian spirit together with Eastern art thoughts and practices. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree at Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, Taiwan, Mr. Yu continued to study in Paris where he gradually began to reveal the intricate processes of integration between East and West within his work. The eventual results are paintings which reveal techniques inherent to the Parisian naïve school, evidenced by the bold use of color and flattened, geometric designs, yet resembling Chinese landscapes where the picture doesn’t tell us where the beholder stands in relation to the view.
Mr. Yu’s original style of painting is well known and widely sought for its abstract beauty. His work successfully combines geometric and figurative images over a distinct texture in his own innovative manners, creating a new dimension of visual pleasure and evoking a variety of moods and tonal qualities. As viewers are drawn into a beautiful and harmonic world, peaceful and serene as portrayed throughout his work, they can begin to experience the sensations infused by description of the Western world coupled with the traditional overtones of the Asian.

Mr. Yu’s predominant media includes acrylic painted over a thick layer of gold, silver, and/or metal leaves on canvas. Some of his other paintings are also drawn with Chinese ink on Chinese paper, applying the techniques intrinsic to Chinese calligraphy to each stroke of the brush, emphasizing the importance of mixed tones and hues to create a feeling of both life and depth.

The demand for Mr. Yu’s work has increased dramatically over the past decades. His paintings have been displayed in numerous prominent galleries both at home and abroad, in places such as Europe, Japan and the Far East. His work has also been showcased in reputable museums, and included in many important private collections throughout the world.