James Lee Chiahan (李佳翰, b.1990, Tainan, Taiwan) is a Taiwanese-Canadian artist currently based in Montréal.
James primarily works in oil painting and charcoal drawing. His art explores the bittersweetness of life and the human experience, expressed through the lens of personal experience and remembrance. He is drawn to images that have a strong emotional resonance, often depicting moments in mundanity that are deeply affecting and difficult to articulate. At its core, his work celebrates and laments what we hold dear.
His pictorial practice also extends to other mediums. In recent years, he has created several murals in both public and private settings. Most recently, he has completed murals for BMO (2025, René-Lévesque and De Bullion, Montreal), Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (2024, Montreal), and Montreal's Chinatown (2024, in collaboration with Bryan Beyung).
He is also widely recognized for his illustration work, which has earned him numerous awards from prestigious institutions, including American Illustration 43 (2024, 2025), the Canadian Magazine Awards (2024, Grand Prize for Cover Art), Jackson's Art Prize (2024, Shortlist), and The Society for News Design (2024), among others.
His clients include The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Walrus, The New York Times, and Apple. His work is held in private collections around the world and has been exhibited in Canada and the United States.