World-renowned contemporary artist from China, Leng Jun, who is popular with his incredible hyper realistic paintings has been awarded an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University.
Born in 1963 in Sichuan, Jun graduated from the fine arts department at the Hankou Branch of Wuhan Normal College in 1984 and currently lives and works in Beijing.
The influential contemporary artist is known for his spectacular painting skills and the precision of lifelike details
Reported by CGTN, Jun’s award was conferred on July 24 in a graduation ceremony at Symphony Hall, Birmingham alongside graduates from Birmingham City University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Schools of Art, Fashion and Textiles, Jewellery, and Visual Communication.
When asked about receiving the top honour from the UK institution, Jun said that it was definitely a day to remember and expressed his gratitude to the University, the Vice-Chancellor and his friends who have helped him in his artistic journey.
“In Chinese, we have a tradition that calls to never forget a generous act and grasp every opportunity to return the hospitality that you’ve received. It will be a great honour if I have the chance to contribute to Birmingham City University in the future,” Jun said.
“Leng Jun’s artistry has been described as ‘paintings that are beyond limits’ by scholars, meaning they meet or exceed the usual standards of oil painting,” a spokesman for the university said of Leng.
Jun’s hyper realistic paintings have been acknowledged by many arts institutions around the world for his incredible interpretation in creating oil paint material.
This portrait of a lady in a green sweater may look like a typical portrait but it is actually one of Jun’s hyper realistic paintings
This painting is one of his many paintings that can easily fool anyone into thinking that they are captured by a camera
His vivid artworks are intriguing and their visual effects are on another level
His artworks have been closely synonymous with amazing and intricate lifelike details
His artworks have been recognised by major art exhibitions in China with some awards under his belt including the Art Award in the 2nd Annual Chinese Oil Painting Exhibition, the Golden Award in the 3rd Annual Chinese Art Exhibition and the Gold Award in the 9th National Art Exhibition
He is currently a researcher in the Oil Paintings department at China National Academy of Painting
While many acknowledged his fantastic painting skills, Jun also has another unbeatable skill: creating a hyper realistic painting in just one day!
Check out how he created this hyperrealistic painting of live model Bailee Wilson in a public painting session at Texas A&M College of Architecture’s Wright Gallery here
Credit: Texas A&M College of Architecture
Credit: CGTN