Catholic artist blends ancient East, West

Ken Woo works on a large gold gilded cross, fabricated and painted for Saint Joseph's church in Rutherford, New Jersey in 2015. The cross is approximately 8 feet by 6 feet and was inspired by the 12th Century San Damiano Cross. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

"Ken was invited because he not only is one of the best artists working in both the secular and sacred worlds, but also has a fascinating personal story given his Eastern and Western infl uences and his journey as an artist," said Terry McKeegan, director of FORUM Arlington and a personal friend of Woo.

Currently teaching at Berkeley College in New York, Woo gained a reputation through his project at Our Savior Church at Park Avenue and 38th in New York, which was reportedly one of the largest icons in the US and won the award for Best Renovation in NY City 2006. His recent project is a large commission for the Oratory Church in Toronto.

Born in Shanghai, Woo followed his family to the states at the age of 4. With his grandmother and mother both being classicaltrained French School artists, Woo grew up in a household surrounded by artwork and free teachers.

"At a young age, I was in the studios learning how to draw,"he told the audience. "Painting is a direct representation of the artist. Every stroke you made really expresses what you are thinking — it's very hard to fake."

Ever since high school, Woo wanted to learn the traditions of painting and to share it with the future generations.

A believer that "good artists are trained very well," he went to college anxious to learn more painting and drawing techniques through intensive training. "I was a little disappointed because I wanted to learn the craft but couldn't find anywhere that allowed me to do so," he said. He thus had to start self-learning.

"I was really interested in specifi cally American art of the 19th century. American artists, back in 19th century, went to Europe and brought back all the knowledge," he said.

He took an opportunity after college to study abroad in Florence, where he learned all the traditional techniques — gold gilding, stained glass, mosaic and mirror painting — before he could start to create for architects in New York. He later went to graduate school at the New York Academy of Art.