Tuo Pung Jian, known as Topaz, was born in 1975 Beijing, China. He expressed in interest in art and painting at a young age. He enjoyed painting natural landscapes in rural areas, especially landscapes filled with trees. Topaz attended the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, China, graduating in 1999 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree. His major studies were in Western and Landscape art.

Topaz is best known for his large and vibrant paintings of forests and landscapes. Through his art, he transports the viewer to distant lands where poppies grow wildly in the meadows, and where aspens quake in the Rocky Mountains. Topaz’s finds the most beautiful gems of nature, and captures them in his original oil paintings for all to enjoy. Topaz says simply, “we all wish we could retreat to a more peaceful and happy place, and what better place than into a beautiful landscape!”

Topaz’s original oil paintings are clearly distinguished by his use of heavy palette knife to ‘sculpt’ in thick textures. . His use of rich jewel tones are mixed with soft color contrasts that draws attention to his subjects. His contemporary but impressionistic landscapes are eye-catching and are gaining a large collectors following.

Topaz artwork was first shown in the United States at the International Art Expo in New York in 2003. His artwork is now displayed in many private collections in Asia and in select fine art galleries in the United States.