BIO

Diren He is an acclaimed painter, illustrator, and art educator living and creating out of Kansas City. Born and raised in China, Diren He received his training at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts and later obtained his Master of Fine Arts from the Academy of Art University in the heart of San Francisco. After graduating with honors, Diren moved to the midwest to pursue a career in painting and illustration at Hallmark Cards. 

Diren’s work is driven by his fascination with capturing the often overlooked aspects of nature. Having spent his adolescent years in the vast Chinese countryside, Diren draws inspiration from his experiences with nature’s ever-changing moods - often peaceful, playful, but at times also forceful and unrelenting. Regardless of subject matter,  Diren strives to express these emotions through his work. 

Diren is a signature member of the Oil Painters of America and has had the honor to receive numerous awards from the Oil Painters of America Annual Exhibition, the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society Exhibition, as well as Art at Center Annual Exhibition.

With over 40 years of experience, Diren gives back to the art community by teaching painting classes at Johnson County Community College and frequently holds workshops at Hallmark Cards, Powell Garden, and Painting Utah.

His paintings are shown at the Eva Reynolds Fine Arts Gallery in Kansas. 

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

“I paint because painting is who I am. It is the most accurate and direct route of expressing feelings I find difficult to verbalize. 

Every now and then, you’ll be living life as you do, and you’ll see, hear, or read something that will trigger a vivid memory, or invoke an idea that resonates with you so deeply that you become obsessed with expressing that feeling on paper and sharing it with the world. It could be a glimmer of light hitting something at just the right angle or a drop of ink on paper that splatters in the most magical way - highlighting and emphasizing beauty in everyday things and sharing an appreciation for that beauty drives me to create. 

Regardless of subject matter, I find I am always yearning to capture the exact shades of passion that an image evokes in me. The tones, textures, colors, and unique lights and shadows are the notes and rhythms of a composition that can exalt the senses and calm the soul. The subtleties of emotions should be felt, not described.

The tone of my work evolves depending on my interests at any given point in my life. I enjoy the process of transformation and the challenge of pushing different techniques to express emotion. Ultimately, it’s always the idea that dictates what style I use. 

At the moment, there are two main types of work I’m fascinated with:

One type of work is color painted, including figure paintings and landscapes. The landscapes are pushed toward a more abstract form, but concentrates and intensifies light to evoke the scene of passion. 

Another type of work is made by ink and watercolor, describing animals, dancers and figures inspired by ancient poems that have transcended time. Here I focus more on exploring the power and movement of the line.”