Jack (Yu Huan) Wang was born in 1940, the sixth child of twelve children. Jack Wang moved from China to Taiwan with his parents at the age of eight. A precocious child and avid reader, he was wide-eyed with curiosity about his new environment. This curiosity did not follow him into the classroom where, like many children, he began developing his artist skills by doodling. After he had finally filled every blank space in all of his textbooks with drawings, he realized he had an immense passion for art. This passion reinforced his decision, against his parents’ wishes, to enter the National Academy of Fine Arts of Taiwan, rather than go to college. “I didn’t want to waste four years in college studying something I had no interest in,” he says.

After graduation, Jack worked as a high school art teacher and painted feverishly nights and weekends. His contemporary abstract paintings (influenced by the traditional Chinese art and the Zen philosophies) were noticed by the art critics and collectors, and sold well. In 1968, he was given his first solo show at the National Gallery in Taiwan, an extraordinary honor for a young artist. In the years that followed, his paintings were exhibited at the Cathy Art Gallery, the Provincial Museum, the Taiwan National Art Museum, as well as in Tokyo, as part of the New Artists Show. At the time he was a member of The Modern Art Group, Taiwan New Artists, China Art Association and the exclusive Art Teachers’ Association.

Longing for artistic growth, Jack decided to come to the United States to study at the American Academy of Art in Chicago (1971 - 1973). “As an artist, one can never stop learning,” he says, “l learn from nature and from the masters.” After graduating, he opened an art gallery in Chicago with his brother, where he showed his work and conducted art classes.

He moved to Orange County, CA with his wife and two sons in 1984. It was here where he developed his career as a muralist. Over the years he has painted more than 200 murals of various sizes for restaurants, hotels and casinos; and established himself as a highly regarded mural painter.

Even while his mural career flourished Jack continued learning and developing his skill in impressionist and portrait paintings, creating commissioned works for several patrons. “I painted four paintings for Dudley Moore while I didn’t even know who Dudley Moore was.” Jack Wang laughs, referring to the popular British actor.

Now that his two children are independent, Jack has refocused his efforts on fine art. Jack has been participating in several plein air (a style of impressionistic landscape painting) art shows and competitions. In recent years, his work has won numerous awards. His work has become increasingly popular at Art-a-Fair, a two-month summer art festival in Laguna Beach, where he has been showing his work for four consecutive years.

When asked about what he thinks about the growing number of collectors of his art work, Jack says, “I’m honored when people invite my painting to their homes. Each transaction is an acknowledgement and a mutual appreciation. It allows me to paint more. What more can I ask?”

Jack Wang currently resides in Orange County, California. He frequently participates in several California art shows and competitions.