“The human effort to encapsulate the seemingly unmanageable chaos and peace of nature is the very labor of art, which is the unique expression of the intertwining lives of humans and nature. Just as humans sustain themselves through changes in mood and body, nature waits patiently through the winter, for spring to come and for flowers to suddenly bloom. Tornadoes and hurricanes are examples of such shocking change that turns into the menace of an angry lion.”

In the art of traditional botanical painting, each flower is painted from real life plant specimens with the purpose of documenting exotics, natives, medicinal, and endangered plant species, and increasing public awareness of the importance to respect and save our biotic resources. “I am fascinated with the architecture and complexity of plant structure and inspired with the beauty of plant life.”

In the field of Chinese painting, Ichen combines traditional methods with western sketching techniques to capture the beauty of landscapes, birds, flowers, animals and human figures on the paper vividly and vibrantly. She feels the contents and connotations contained in Chinese paintings and calligraphy cannot be expressed adequately through western painting alone. She melds simplicity and vigor with empty space, majesty with elegance. Often just a few simple brush strokes can fully communicate the artist’s vision. And yet Ichen’s paintings take advantage of the ways in which light and color are treated in western paints to enhance the modernity of the Chinese paintings. While her brush strokes and design follow the tradition, she applies the techniques of wet-in-wet, contrast and varying rhythms to bring about freshness and to help the viewers enter a world of tranquility. It is her aim to show a new type of Chinese paintings through her constant explorations and creativity.