Lady Stairs House

In The Silent Traveller in Edinburgh (1948) he presents a detailed and characteristically eccentric account of the historic city. The illustrations include both Chinese ink paintings and brightly coloured impressionistic compositions. Chiang uses a combination of Chinese and western artistic conventions to create depth and atmosphere and to draw the viewer into the scenes. Although he used Chinese materials and techniques to depict his British subjects, he insisted he ‘did not set out to turn the British scene into a Chinese one’. He did not want his paintings and drawings to be appreciated simply for their Chinese character. He was keen instead ‘to interpret British scenes with my Chinese brushes, ink and colours, and my native method of painting’. His work captures the scenes and events he witnessed in a unique and personal way.