AAPI Month: Chinese immigrant in NC celebrates American Dream through painting

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and one local artist's journey stands out as a vivid testament to perseverance, talent and the pursuit of the American dream.

Daniel Wall, now based in North Carolina's Triangle region, was born in China in 1965. One of eight siblings, he grew up with few resources -- and no idea what his future would hold.

"Back in 1960s, the country was so poor...you cannot imagine, we had nothing," Wall recalled.

His mother, though not a professional, was a gifted artist in her own right.

"She's very talented," he said. "She told me when I was two or three years old that I started crawling on the floor coloring. I used colored chalk."

It wasn't long before she recognized her son's natural talent.

"My mother realized that I was born with the art, maybe a lot of genes from her side, so she encouraged me to do the art," Wall said.

She found a way to get art supplies wherever she could, so he could continue growing his talent.

By age 16, Wall was accepted into an art academy. There, he deepened his skills and met the love of his life, Guili, whom he would later marry.

He earned an art degree, became a professor, and continued to refine a personal style he now calls "intense impressionism."

"I like oil painting, I like Monet's and Van Gogh's, Pissarro's work," he said, "so I keep studying, learning from them, that's where my style, intense impressionism comes from."

A turning point came when Wall discovered books about American history in his college library.

Biographies of presidents like Abraham Lincoln and Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with books about American history captivated Wall, and sparked a dream of moving to the United States.

"One day, I told my wife, I wanted to go to the United States," Wall said. "She said, 'are you drunk? How will we get there? How will we make a living? How will we find a job?'"

After months of planning and persuading, Guili agreed.

"After half a year, one day, she said, 'okay, I'll come with you'," he said.

Wall's vision of life in America was simple 30 years ago.

"I can make $30, 40 thousand a year, just like a typical American family, have a small house, have a wife, have children, have a dog, that is my dream," he said.

What he's since accomplished has far outreached his wildest dreams in America.

After arriving in the U.S., both he and Guili earned graduate degrees and became American citizens. Wall then decided to pursue painting full time.

Today, his work is sold around the world through Park West Gallery, the largest art dealer in the world.

"I sell my work to European countries, to Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, as well as China," he said, adding how grateful and happy he was to sell his work in his home country.

Now firmly rooted in North Carolina, the couple has two children and several pets. He creates dozens of paintings each week, most crafted not with brushes, but with a palette knife.

"I'm very proud to be American," Wall said. "Liberty, beauty, and freedom."

Many of his pieces celebrate the country where he found so much opportunity.

"To be a successful artist in the United States I never dared imagine it," he said.

His daughter, Sarah, has followed in his footsteps and is now a successful artist herself, also selling her work through Park West Gallery.

Wall hopes their family's story is proof that the American dream is still alive and still worth chasing.