Originally located in Duke Street Arcade, Jian Chen moved to Morgan Arcade to expand her business.
It is hard to believe Jian Chen only started painting in 2012. After posting photos of her work online, she quickly gained a cult following, with people clamouring to buy her unique and vibrant artwork. She spotted the potential of the arcade space and knew it would be the perfect location for her store.
Jian specialises in water colours, with a small amount of work created in oils and acrylics, sometimes completing up to 5 new pieces in a week. As well as her original artworks, on display in her gallery on the basement level, she also prints her work onto everything from t-shirts and tote bags to keyrings and coasters.
In 2018, City of Arcades ran a competition to determine the ‘Top 10’ businesses in Cardiff’s arcades which saw 10,000 members of the public vote for their favourite business.
For a new business, like Jian’s, the campaign has really helped to spread the word about her art, “The City of Arcades campaign has really exposed my artwork to a new and wider audience,” she says with glee, “I think it’s helped the arcades, showing people all the unique things, they can find if they just explore a little.”