Dr Fan Dongwang Bio

Born in Shanghai, China, Dongwang Fan studied traditional Chinese art at Shanghai School of Arts and Crafts (SSAC) in 70’s and later became an art teacher at SSAC. As an established Shanghai artist, his work exhibited regularly in since 1982, including 1986. As a member of the top professional body Chinese Artists Association he was awarded the Prize for Excellent Work for Shanghai International Culture Exchange. In 1990 Fan migrated to Australia as an artist of ‘Distinguished Talent’. Fan studied Master of Arts at COFA, NSW University in 1995, and received Post Graduate Award and completed Doctor of Creative Art at Wollongong University in 1999. He has exhibited at National Gallery of Australia and numerous university and regional art galleries throughout Australia. Dr Fan Dongwang has combined his traditional Chinese carving technique with his new acrylic canvas paintings to create his unique visual language, Sculptural Painting. Known for his contemporary depiction of traditional Chinese cultural symbols such as dragons along with Australian cultural icons Gumtree, Fan Dongwang has explored cultural differences, often from diverse visual perspectives in his large and colourful paintings. His artworks have won many art prizes and feature in various public and private collections in China and Australia. Currently lives and works in Sydney.

My canvas painting Gum Tree explores the notion of painting Australian landscape through the techniques of Chinese painting, carving and calligraphy. 

Humble, resilient and iconic, the Australian gum tree has been drowned under roiling floods, consumed in flames, fallen to the buzz of the miller’s saw and slowly choked of thirst. Yet each year it endures. The trees spread back across the land, from scorching deserts to desolate mountains. In the twilight their majestic trunks soar towards the sky in ecstatic salutation, their branches becoming narrow roads winding towards a heavenly and spiritual destination. 

If you look closely, they become living things akin to human beings: their solemn trunks dance in the wind, their magnificent bodies transforming into awe inspiring male and female torsos. Gum trees are painterly subjects too, with the strokes breaking free and the colours both subtle and vivid. 

The Gum Tree is developed from my knowledge of Chinese relief carving, a unique method of composing 3D images within the narrow dimensions of the carving material to create striking landscapes. Thus the paintbrush becomes my chisel, ‘carving’ out the trees’ body shape, applying strong upward perspectives to manipulate the canvas surface to create powerful visual illusions. I also use “the art of line” from Chinese calligraphy combined with western Op art colour arrangement to paint the free flowing and gracious trunks and branches.

My painting Gumtree triptych was the finalist of Wynne prize at AGNSW

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/prizes/wynne/2014/29531/