Born in Shanghai, China, in 1957, Ji has lived and worked in Hawai‘i since 1986. He received a BFA degree from Shanghai Light Industry College and an MFA degree in painting from the University of Hawai‘i—Manoa. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the 1995 Artists of Hawai‘i Exhibition Melusine Award for Painting and the 1993 Artists of Hawai‘i Exhibition Reuben Tam Award for Painting.

Artist Statement:  Humans use many instruments of expression. I explore my own Asian cultural identity by using a wide variety of methods and materials, both traditional and contemporary, artistic and industrial, ready made objects and antiques, to restructure them into a new art form that express my deep-seated interest in the experiential threads that weave together the tapestry of everyday human existence, collective memory and cultural transformation.

In my professional practice, I strive for seeking the emergence of different visual languages and multimedia recombination in the work aimed at rediscovering and reexamining cultural collision and intricacy. I also endeavor to explore and reconceptualize a wide range of environmental, social and behavioral issues and their respective cultural contexts.