A college professor typically researches in order to provide credible information to his or her students. Professor Yueqi Zhang from the Communication and Creative Arts department at Purdue University Calumet is able to provide that research in the form of his artistic accomplishments.
Yueqi, an artist and associate professor at Purdue University Calumet, accepted the Award of Excellence I on May 10 at the Illinois Watercolor Society 31st National Exhibition held at The Next Picture Show gallery in Dixon, Ill. Zhang has earned his Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and Master of Arts in Multimedia and Communication.
The winning work was titled Afterflow, which consisted of variations of light and elements of Chinese culture.
“It’s part of my life, it’s part of my career,” Zhang said. “Without emotion, art is not art”
Zhang said practicing his art allows him to sharpen his teaching skills to where the curricular activity acts as a form of research. He said that he does not believe art can be judged and that is why he calls himself an accidental artist.
He said his success has happened by accident, and he views his passion as a way to communicate through different cultures in art. His inspiration comes from personal experience, memories and culture.
Sandra Schaffer, the judge of the exhibition who has had over 140 works selected to national and international shows, said she was transfixed by the use of skin tones and his expertise in naturally blending areas of the face.
“This was an extremely competitive exhibition,” Schaffer said. “The Illinois Watercolor Society National brings in submissions from artists all over the country. This year there were entries from 17 states, with numerous well known and respected artists having paintings accepted.”
Schaffer said she was very impressed with the creative use of the difficult medium of watercolor by Zhang. She said that Zhang’s work was an interesting study of character.
“I think that his students can greatly benefit from his knowledge and expertise,” Schaffer said. “He was very deserving of his award, and I hope he continues to produce extraordinary work.”
Zhang’s painting Three Sams has been selected as one of the works to be showcased at the 75th Annual International Open Exhibition along with 86 other artists. The painting was chosen by internationally known juror Judy Morris out of more than 600 entries from seven countries and 24 states. The Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS) will be hosting the event at the Washington State Convention Center.
“The process of creating art is a complicated system. Inspiration is the soul of artwork,” Zhang said. “In my art, the sparkle of intercultural impact is my main motivation.”