Jiannan Huang is Winner of LABA Icon Award for Lifetime Achievement

Artist Jiannan Huang

The Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) Icon Awards took place on March 2nd, 2025, honoring LABA Blue Chip artist Jiannan Huang with a LABA Icon Award for Lifetime Achievement. The event was held during the Luxury Gala 2025 Academy Awards Viewing Party at the Universal City Hilton Hotel in Universal City, California. The awards ceremony was organized by the LABA Biennial International Art Festival and LABA Icon Awards committee, bringing together award winners and guests from around the world for a night of celebration and recognition at the Luxury Gala 2025.

Prince Mario Max Schaumburg-Lippe, Marla Maples, Carlos Amezcua, model/actress Dustin Quick, TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA, and other host at the Luxury Gala 2025 Academy Awards Viewing Party at the Universal City Hilton Hotel (Photo credit: Samira's Network)

Luxury Gala 2025 Academy Awards Viewing Party at the Universal City Hilton Hotel (Photo credit: Samira's Network)

The LABA Icon Awards were hosted by TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA, TV host/former news anchor Carlos Amezcua (winner of 22 Emmy® awards), model/actress Dustin Quick, and special guest actress/TV personality Marla Maples. Other LABA guests included sound designer Paul Ottosson (3-time Oscar® winner), director/filmmaker Harrison Engle, renowned artist Todd Williamson, financial entrepreneur Sharon Amezcua, producer Douglas Ivanovich, artist Rosana Largo Rodriguez, music artist Karen Han, Sir Laurent Khaiat, international investors Jacky (Jiahao) Zhang and Dr. Binghua Chen, Professor Lingyun Xiang, and Freda Ou, Chairman of the LABA Asia Region.

Artist Jiannan Huang

Jiannan Huang, a Chinese calligrapher, painter, collector, and appraiser, has been ranked in the Top Ten of the Hurun Art Rankings since 2015, with a total of 1.15 billion yuan in the auction market, and ranked 21st in the top 500 contemporary artists in the world on Artprice, an authoritative European and American art website. He is the Asian artist with the fastest valuation and popularity growth in the European and American painting market in the past three years. He released a signed version of the complete original painting NFT on the entire network, targeting the high-end art market, with only 500 copies, and the original auction price is tens of millions of yuan, and the signed print is tens of thousands of US dollars. Jiannan Huang is one of the world's top artists, specializing in Western oil painting and Chinese ink painting. He ranked third in the Hurun Chinese Art List in 2020 and 2023, and ranked 19th in the world in the Hurun Art List in 2020. In 2021, he was awarded the Honorary Membership of the Royal Society of St. George (RSSG) California Chapter, and in 2022, he won the Royal Society RSSG "Master of Art" Award, and was awarded first place in the LABA Top 10 Most Influential and Most Valuable Artists in 2022.

The Beverly Arts News is sponsored by Cynthia Clarté, MDSUN, Youben Hu Art Studio, En Guangzhi Art Studio, and The Beverly Arts Foundation

Ke Yi is Named Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) Blue Chip Artist

Douglas Ivanovich, LABA Board member, Freda Ou, Chairman of LABA Asia, Harrison Engle, LABA Board member, artist Ke Yi with his certificate, Guo Li (wife of Ke Yi), Sheri Determan, LABA Board member, and TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA

Los Angeles, California, USA. 6th March, 2025. Artist Ke Yi is named Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) Blue Chip artist at a ceremony held at the Four Seasons hotel in Los Angeles, California. The guests included TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA, and LABA Board members - Harrison Engle, Paul Ottosson, Karen Han, Douglas Ivanovich, and Sheri Determan. Other guests were Freda Ou, Chairman of LABA Asia, Huajun Zhang, founder of Chuan Ya Wood, an international leader in piano manufacturing, Ling Pang, director of the Chuan Ya Museum, and Guo Li (wife of Ke Yi).

Harrison Engle, LABA Board member, artist Ke Yi with his LABA Blue Chip artist certificate

Artist Ke Yi was born in Fushun, Sichuan in August 1953. He has worked as a professor, master's degree tutor, and doctoral tutor for interdisciplinary research in literature and music at Sichuan University in China. From 2010 to 2014, he served as the president of Sichuan Conservatory of Music. In 2019, Shinhan University in South Korea awarded Ke Yi a doctorate in education. He is currently the honorary dean of the Violin Art Institute of Sichuan Conservatory of Music and the honorary director of the Guqin Research Center of Sichuan Conservatory of Music. After retiring in 2014, Yi Ke started his oil painting career and formed a unique creative style with "music thinking in painting". As of 2025, he has completed more than 2,200 oil paintings, including "European Refugee Wave", "Soul Returning to Seda", "North Sea Style", "Chasing the Wind", "My Heart Will Go On", etc., as well as musicians and artists series, with themes covering portraits, natural landscapes and humanities and history. Ke Yi's multiple skills and talents that include musician, artist, performer, and educator, construct the image of an "all-in-one artist" who adheres to the essence of creativity in the artistry of his work. 

TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA, gave a speech and led the ceremony

Harrison Engle, LABA Board member receives gift from artist Ke Li for LABA

Harrison Engle, Freda Ou, Douglas Ivanovich, Karen Han, Huajun Zhang, Sheri Determan, Paul Ottosson, and Joey Zhou

The Beverly Arts News is sponsored by Cynthia Clarté, MDSUN, Youben Hu Art Studio, En Guangzhi Art Studio, and The Beverly Arts Foundation

Artist Ke Yi and Zehra Sun Appointed as LABA Icon Awards Charity Ambassadors

Ling Pang, director of the Chuan Ya Museum, Huajun Zhang, founder of Chuan Ya Wood, Ms. Guo Li (Ke Yi's wife), Zehra Sun, CEO of MDSUN, Sheri Determan, TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA, and Freda Ou, Chairman, LABA Asia Region 

Arcadia, California, USA. 5th March, 2025. The Los Angeles Beverly Arts (LABA) Icon Awards committee appointed artist Ke Yi and Zehra Sun, CEO of MDSUN, as charity ambassadors at a ceremony held at the MDSUN headquarters in Arcadia, California. The guests included TV host Joey Zhou, founder of LABA, Sheri Determan, LABA Chief Editor and LABA Icon Awards committee member, Freda Ou, Chairman of LABA Asia Region, Huajun Zhang, founder of Chuan Ya Wood Industry which is an international piano manufacturing leader, Ling Pang, director of the Chuan Ya Museum, and Ke Yi's wife, Ms. Guo Li. After the presentation of the certificates and interviews, Ke Yi and Zehra Sun exchanged gifts and posed for more photos.

Guo Li (wife of Ke Yi), artist Ke Yi, and Zehra Sun, CEO of MDSUN exchange gifts

Artist Ke Yi was born in Fushun, Sichuan in August 1953. He has worked as a professor, master's degree tutor, and doctoral tutor for interdisciplinary research in literature and music at Sichuan University in China. From 2010 to 2014, he served as the president of Sichuan Conservatory of Music. In 2019, Shinhan University in South Korea awarded Ke Yi a doctorate in education. He is currently the honorary dean of the Violin Art Institute of Sichuan Conservatory of Music and the honorary director of the Guqin Research Center of Sichuan Conservatory of Music. After retiring in 2014, Yi Ke started his oil painting career and formed a unique creative style with "music thinking in painting". As of 2025, he has completed more than 2,200 oil paintings, including "European Refugee Wave", "Soul Returning to Seda", "North Sea Style", "Chasing the Wind", "My Heart Will Go On", etc., as well as musicians and artists series, with themes covering portraits, natural landscapes and humanities and history. Ke Yi's multiple skills and talents that include musician, artist, performer, and educator, construct the image of an "all-in-one artist" who adheres to the essence of creativity in the artistry of his work. 

Guo Li (wife of Ke Yi), artist Ke Yi, and Zehra Sun, CEO of MDSUN show the gifts they exchanged

Zehra Sun is a successful and passionate leader with more than 20 years of experience in executive management, public relations, education, and medical-related administration. As Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder of the medical-grade skin care company MDSUN Skin Care, Zehra has led the company to become a leader in the international beauty industry, and in over 45 countries. Zehra’s academic credentials include a BA in History from National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan and a BA in East Asian Studies from Indiana University in Indiana. Fluent in English, Chinese (Mandarin), and Turkish, Zehra brings strong international leadership and strategic planning skills to MDSUN’s successful expansion into new markets. She passionately supports various charitable organizations, volunteer activities, and actively supports the arts. She has received many awards for her work as a prominent business woman in the local community and in California.

Zehra Sun, CEO of MDSUN Skin Care

Zehra Sun, CEO of MDSUN Skin Care

Zehra Sun has received many awards that include the Humanitarian Award from the World Global Peace Ambassador and the United Nations Goodwill Peace Ambassador (2019), the TBACC Award from the Beverly Arts Philanthropy and Contribution Award (2019), the 4th Golden Crown Award from the Global Chinese Women Entrepreneurs Association (2016), the Certificate of California Business Community Contribution Award from the U.S. House of Representatives (2016), and the Certificate of Community Contribution Award from Los Angeles County (2016), and the LABA Icon Award in 2022.

The Beverly Arts News is sponsored by Cynthia Clarté, MDSUN, Youben Hu Art Studio, En Guangzhi Art Studio, and The Beverly Arts Foundation