b.1955 - Born to a family of opera performers and musicians, Chen Bolan grew up in a world saturated by classical music and art. He started painting at the age of twelve and rapidly began exploring different styles and techniques. An avid traveler, Bolan first established himself as a fine artist through a series of successful exhibitions in Japan while living in Tokyo in the 1980s. By 1991, Bolan made a permanent home in London, where he now works from his Charing Cross studio Bolan's paintings have been described as grisailles, monochromes primarily in grey tints. This is not strictly true, as the artist subtly blends many colors and shades to produce the final effect. This minimal, almost dichromatic coloring is inspired by the Far Eastern tradition, while the shapes and forms derive from the Renaissance masters such as Titian. These styles unite in Bolan's figurative oil paintings to produce highly atmospheric images with both shimmering light and deep shadow. Bolan's work has been shown in Japan, China, England, and the United States.