ARTBEAT BUZZ ARTICLE
- Feb 2, 2024
- 1 min read
ARTBEAT BUZZ by Lynne Kornecki - Local Abstract Artist Thrives on Fusing Disparate Elements with Stunning Asian-Flair Results
Like a highly skilled chef, Naperville, IL abstract artist Jan Schrader deftly mixes his visual artistry into a tasteful fusion by adding Asian flair. Preferring acrylics as his go-to medium, Jan’s airy, clean, contemporary canvases feature a powerful use of open space, texture and metallic paint that dims and brightens with the passing sun. The ultimate result is a piece that is distinctive and full of vitality.
Asian influence has been a part of his life dating back to childhood from décor his mother used in his family’s home to later serving in the U.S. Marine Corps stationed in Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Jan notes there are two major muses behind his work – contemporary architecture, such as Mid-Century Modern, and the clean lines of Asian artistry.
“During my military years serving in the Far East I experienced that culture firsthand,” Jan reflects. “Asian art is frequently very simplistic – often with Zen-like minimalism. Ultimately, that fusion of art and architecture fuels my designs.”
And as a devoted jazz fan, he listens to it regularly while painting in his studio finding even more inspiration in the music's improvisations and riffs.
“To me, abstract art is jazz on canvas where I improvise my own work as I go along,” he says.
He often begins his paintings with minimal planning using a palette knife or brush to develop heavy textures with metallic and high gloss paints.
