Local artist Tracy Chen has done it again, becoming the only South African for the second consecutive year selected to feature her work in the prestigious 2025 Japan International Watercolour Institute (JIWI) Spring Online Exhibition.
Chen, who is self-taught and began painting seriously only after her retirement, said the honour was “deeply affirming” and has inspired her to continue striving to perfect her craft. “Being selected again confirms that I have something meaningful to contribute to the art world, and it’s a reminder of how much more I still want to learn and achieve.”
The painting that earned her a place this year is markedly different from her 2024 piece, Roses, which featured soft, muted hues and subtle tonal variations. Cherries in the Rain, by contrast, bursts with colour and life. It captures a vibrant cascade of cherries dappled with water droplets, each glistening bead a study in precision and light.
“Watercolour is a delicate medium, and rendering those water drops stretched my technical ability,” she said. “It took me about a month to complete, which is quite long for me — I wanted to get it just right.”
Chen’s love for the natural world continues to drive her subject choices, with nature’s colours acting as both palette and muse. “The colours we find in nature speak to me. I’m a soft person by nature, and the themes I gravitate towards — peace, serenity, gratitude — are reflected in the subjects I choose.”
Her approach to art is intuitive and deeply personal. She paints only when inspiration strikes and works steadily to bring a vision to life. “I try to follow my heart when I paint,” she said. “I pour myself into the artwork and go wherever it leads me.”
While Chen’s art may seem effortless in its beauty, her journey is anything but. She is constantly studying other artists, especially those she’s discovered online from countries like Russia and Turkey, and she uses the internet as her classroom. “I’m teaching myself everything,” she said.
“I know my learning process is unconventional, but I approach this craft with reverence. Others may do it better, but no one can do it quite like me.”
Between her first and second international appearances, she has become braver in use of colour and more daring in her compositions. “This painting showed me I can be bold, and I hope when people see it, they are reminded to enjoy life’s simple pleasures and to really see the natural beauty all around us.”
As she continues to paint, Chen remains humble but driven. “There are artists out there doing things that are so refined and precise,” she said. “I’m not there yet, but I’m working hard. This second showing has lit a fire in me to keep going.”
