Fang Zhaoling

1914-2006, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China

Introduction

Born to a scholarly family in the city of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China in 1914, Fang Zhaoling was a precocious child with strong interests in Chinese calligraphy. She studied bird-and-flower painting under Chen Jiucun and landscape painting under Qian Songyan while at Wuxi Art College. When she was nineteen, she participated in the “White Wave Art Society” exhibition in Wuxi. Her talent and knowledge of Chinese ink art were evident even at a young age. By 1950, she had immigrated to Hong Kong and was a student of Zhao Shao’ang, a leading proponent of the second generation of the Lingnan School. Under his guidance, she produced primarily bird-and-flower paintings. By 1953, she had become a student of the renowned painter Zhang Daqian, canonical artist of twentieth century Chinese ink painting. During the 1960s, she studied paintings by Wu Changshuo and Qi Baishi in great detail, learning to use their freestyle method of cursive calligraphy to create paintings. During the 1960s-70s she joined Zhang in Brazil and California, painting with him and participating in several overseas exhibitions. She passed away in 2006.

Alisan Fine Arts has been representing Fang since the 1990s and has included her work in numerous group exhibitions, and in 2012 held a solo exhibition for her. In 2014 to celebrate her centennial, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University held a solo exhibition of her works.


Since 1951, Fang has had over fifty group and solo exhibitions, including important shows at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Oxford University; Cambridge University; Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; Museum of the University of Oregon; Tokyo Fuji Art Museum; National Art Museum of China, Beijing; Shanghai Art Museum; Zhejiang West Lake Art Museum; University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Her work is present in numerous important collections, including the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; the British Museum; Shanghai Art Museum; Hong Kong Museum of Art; University Museum and Art Gallery, the University of Hong Kong. Her works have also been featured in many publications and monographs.


SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024

  • A Life Journey of  Painting: The Ink Art of Fang Zhaoling, Centennial Hall, True Light Middle School, Hong Kong

2021

2017

  • Painting Her Way – The Ink Art of Fang Zhaoling, Asia Society, Hong Kong

2014

  • Paintings by Fang Zhaoling: A Century Exhibition, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK

2012

2006

  • Solo Exhibition, Zhejiang West Lake Art Museum, Hangzhou, China

2005

  • Fang Zhaoling: A Life in Painting, Chong-Moon Lee Centre for Asian Art and Culture, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, USA

2001

  • Solo Exhibition, Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong

2000

  • An Ode to Earth and Life: The World of Fang Zhaoling, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, Japan

1999

  • Works by Dr. Fang Zhaoling, Soka Gakkai International of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

1997

  • Solo exhibitions of calligraphy and painting, Shanghai Art Museum; Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy, Beijing; Shenzhen Art Museum, Shenzhen, China; Kulturzen-Trumvilla Sachsen, Katholische Akademie, Germany

1994  

  • The Passionate Realm: A Retrospective of Fang Zhaoling, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

1988 

  • Chinese Ink Painting by Fang Zhaoling, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

1986  

  • Solo exhibition, Hefei Museum, Anhui, China

1984  

  • Fang Zhaoling 70th Anniversary Exhibition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong

1983 

  • Solo exhibition, organized by Shanghai Ministry of Culture, Shanghai Art Museum, China

1981 

  • Solo exhibition, arranged by the Ministry of Culture, National Art Museum of China, Beijing; Nanjing, Wuxi, China

1978  

  • Solo exhibition, Hugh Moss Gallery, London, UK

1977  

  • Solo exhibition, Raya Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

1975    

  • Solo exhibition, Mickelson Gallery, Washington, DC, USA

1973    

  • Solo exhibition, Mickelson Gallery, Washington, DC, USA

1972   

  • Solo Exhibition, Hugh Moss Gallery, London, UK

1971  

  • Solo exhibition, Ji Gu Zhai Art Gallery, Hong Kong

1968    

  • Solo exhibition, Grosvenor Gallery, London, UK

1962  

  • Solo exhibitions, Foyles Art Gallery, London; Durham University, UK

1961

  • Solo exhibitions, Victoria Memorial Hall, Singapore; St. John’s Cathedral, Hong Kong

1960 

  • Solo exhibitions, Doll and Richards Gallery, Boston; Kennedy Gallery, New York, USA; Montreal, Canada
  • Solo exhibition, De Young Memorial Museum; Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco, USA

1957-8

  • Solo exhibition, Oxford University, Cambridge University, UK

1956

  • Solo exhibition, Hong Kong Chinese Women’s Club, Hong Kong

1955

  • Solo exhibition, Fung Ping Shan Library, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Solo exhibition, sponsored by China Society, Penang, Malaysia



SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023

2020

2019

  • Women in Art: Hong Kong, Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UＫ

2018

2017

2016

2013

2010

  • Legacy & Creations: Ink Art vs Ink Art, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China

2008
2001
1998
  • Exhibition, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
1987
  • Four-artist group exhibition with Wu Guangzhong (1919-2010), Wang Jiqian (1907-2003) and Song Wenzhi (1919-1999), Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1986  
  • A group exhibition of 40 Chinese painters from Hong Kong, Macau, overseas and mainland China, organized by Chinese University of Hong Kong and Mingpao, City Hall, Hong Kong
1985
  • Four-artist group exhibition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1984 
  • Exhibition, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Exhibition of Hong Kong Arts Festival, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1983 
  • Exhibition of Hong Kong Arts Festival, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1982 
  • Group Exhibition, Hugh Moss Gallery, London, UK
1981
  • Art’81 Exhibition, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
1978  
  • City Hall, Hong Kong
  • Art’78 Exhibition, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong Artists-the Early Generation, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
1974    
  • Exhibition, Zachary Waller Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
1967  
  • Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, UK
  • Contemporary Chinese Painting Exhibition, Scottish National Museum of Modern Art, Edinburg, UK
1960 
  • Exhibition, Museum of University of Oregon, USA
1957-8
  • Munich University, Germany
1953-4 
  • Joint exhibition with Zhao Shao’ang, Leeds University; Marlborough Fine Arts Gallery, London, UK
  • Joint exhibitions, Vallotton Gallery, Lausanne, Switzerland; Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France
1951 
  • Joint exhibition with Yang Shanshen (1913-2004), Hu Yuki (1927- ) and Lu Canming (1892-1963, father of Lui Shou-Kwan), sponsored by Singapore Art Society, Singapore; Penang, Malaysia
1950
  • Joint exhibition with Zhao Shao’ang, presented by Asahi Shimbun, Mitsukoshi Department Store, Tokyo, Japan, which was the first Chinese art exhibition since the war
1933
  • Group Exhibition of Bailang Art Society, Wuxi, China


SELECTED MAJOR COLLECTIONS
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, USA
Museum of the University of Oregon, USA
British Museum, London, UK
Durham University Museum, UK
Liverpool University, UK
Scottish National Museum of Art, Edinburgh, UK
University of Cambridge, UK
University of Oxford, UK
V&A Museum, London, UK
Cologne Museum of Art, Germany
Jiangsu Art Museum, Nanjing, China
Shanghai Art Museum, China
Wuxi Museum, China
Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
Shuisongshi Shanfang Collection, Hong Kong

 
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
1951    Recent Paintings by Fang Zhaoling, published in Tokyo, Japan

1972    A World Beyond all Books-The Paintings and Calligraphy of Fang Zhaoling, published in London, UK

1981    Fang Zhaoling- Paintings and Calligraphy, published in Shanghai, China

1982    Works published in Some Recent Developments in 20th Century Chinese Paintings: A Personal View, edited by Hugh Moss

1983    Fang Zhaoling Portfolio, Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong

1984    Woks published in The Experience of Art, 20th Century Chinese Paintings from the Shuisongshi Shanfang Collection 

1988    Chinese Painting by Fang Zhaoling, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

1992    Works by Fang Zhaoling, Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong

1994    The Passionate Realm: A Retrospective of Fang Zhaoling, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

1997    Works by Fang Zhaoling Vol. 1 & 2, Shuan Zhou Tong, Hong Kong

1999    Tranquil Minds and Nature’s Resonance, by Fang Zhaoling and Daisaku Ikeda, Cosmos Books, Hong Kong

2000    An Ode to Earth and Life: The World of Fang Zhaoling, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, Japan

2005    Fang Zhaoling: A Life in Painting, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco– Chong-Moon Lee Centre for Asian Art and Culture, USA

2007    Calligraphy by Fang Zhaoling, Cosmo Books, Hong Kong

2008    Hong Kong Art: Open Dialogue Exhibition Series II– New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

2012    Fang Zhaoling, Vigorous and Fresh Chinese Ink Painting, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong