Teresa Yuan

Teresa Yuan was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. When she was 19 she moved to the United States to study painting at the Art Student League while pursuing instruction from various Chinese watercolor artists. She later transferred to Pratt Institute where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in oil painting.
In 1978 she moved from New York City to Martha’s Vineyard to pursue her interests and raise a family. Teresa has worked a variety of jobs to support her family and her art, most recently as a landscape designer and gardener.
Her spiritual beliefs are incredibly strong. She studied Zen meditation while in New York City and consequently became a strong believer in Buddhism. It is because of this strong influence and connection to the moment, combined with her love of nature, she instills her appreciation for beauty into her still life paintings. Her inspiration derives from the subjects and lives that surround her, and as a gardener, flowers, vegetables, and landscapes are some of the most popular subjects in her paintings.
In the winter of 2009, in pursuit of inspiration and new approaches to painting, Teresa attended a workshop with Ellen Rolli in Boston. That winter she started experimenting with big brushes on little canvases and found it to be a fresh and inspiring from of expression. During this time she began using acrylics instead of oils as another way to articulate depth perspective and color.
Since her children have grown and moved off the island, she has found more free time to pursue another deep passion of hers: traveling. In 2008 she traveled to China to explore her families past, the ancient cultural heritage and to witness the vast and dynamic cities and countryside. In the spring of 2009 she went to India to experience the devoted spirituality and history of their people, bringing back a wealth of cultural perspectives. In spring of 2010 she traveled to Bali, Indonesia where she was deeply touched by the friendly people, the rich Hindu culture, and the breathtaking sceneries of the tropical island. In the spring of 2012 she traveled to Taiwan and Yunnan province in China. She experienced the beauty of the Jade Dragon Mountains, tasted the famous Pu Er tea, and went to a town named True Shung where 120 dinosaur fossils were found. In Taiwan, she had the joy of traveling with her cousins to different mountains, eating a lot of delicious Chinese food, as well as visiting the famous National Palace Museum where she was able to see the Jade Carved Cabbage. Traveling has been exceptionally inspirational in her work, opening her eyes to an array of ideas and perceptions that allow her to see things differently and to paint in a way she has not before. Her home in Marhta’s Vineyard is the haven where she combines her passions and experiences into her paintings to share with other travelers and locals alike. See more of her work here.