Luan Baby Phoenix
Artist
Fred Fang Yu Wang
(Born in Beijing, China, 1913–1997)
Date1995
MediumInk on rice paper, on silk mount
Dimensions76 x 24 7/8 inches (193 x 63.2 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of Shao F. (E’78, P’14) and Cheryl L. Wang (P’14)
Object number2011.19.1
Collections
- ASIAN
- MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
Label TextThis calligraphic painting by Chinese-born scholar/artist Fang Yu (Fred) Wang, illustrates the Chinese characters for luan, a type of phoenix found in traditional folklore. Wang sought to incorporate elements of Western contemporary art into traditional Chinese expression. The bold, lively characters bring to a Westerner's mind the gestural paintings of the Abstract Expressionists. Another modern element is the use of the bright pink rice paper as ground.
Wang's calligraphic paintings have been exhibited and published in the United States and abroad. In 1999, the China Institute of New York organized a retrospective, A Literati Life in the Twentieth Century: Wang Fangyu - Artist, Scholar, Connoisseur.
Wang's calligraphic paintings have been exhibited and published in the United States and abroad. In 1999, the China Institute of New York organized a retrospective, A Literati Life in the Twentieth Century: Wang Fangyu - Artist, Scholar, Connoisseur.