Fang Zhaoling (, 17 January 1914 – 20 February 2006), also known as Lydia Fong, was a Chinese painter and calligrapher.
Biography
Born to a prominent industrialist and scholarly family in the city of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, Fang Zhaoling was a precocious child with strong interests in Chinese calligraphy.
She received classical education at home with tutors and a solid modern education at elite Western-style schools, attaining a sound education in both Chinese and European terms that enabled her to cross cultural boundaries with comparative ease.
She was the mother of Hong Kong politician
Anson Chan
Anson Maria Elizabeth Chan Fang On-sang, (; ''née'' Fang; born 17 January 1940) is a retired Hong Kong politician and civil servant who was the first ethnic Chinese and woman to serve as Chief Secretary, the second-highest position in both ...
.
Fang lost her father when she was very young. With the support of her mother Fang began studying calligraphy and painting and in her teens, she was sent to the United Kingdom to pursue her studies.
[
] In 1937, she enrolled at
University of Manchester
, mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity
, established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...
in Britain to study European history and worked as interpreter and assistant for General
Fang Zhenwu
Fang Zhenwu (; 1885 – December 1941), or Fang Cheng-wu, was a general of the Republic of China and anti-Japanese leader. He ran afoul of the Kuomintang leadership and was assassinated in 1941.
Biography Early life
Fang was born in 1885 in Shou ...
(Fang Shuping, 1885-1941), who was then traveling in Europe, North America and elsewhere to raise support for China's fight against Japan. She studied under great artists like Qian Songyan (1899-1985)
and Chen Jiucun (1898-1975),
Chao Shao-an
Chao Shao-an or Zhao Shao'ang (; 1905, Guangdong – 1998) was a Chinese artist of the Lingnan School of painting.
Galleries that feature his work
* Hong Kong Heritage Museum
*Guangzhou Museum of Art
* Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
The Asi ...
and
Chang Dai-chien
Chang Dai-chien or Zhang Daqian (; 10 May 1899 – 2 April 1983) was one of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century. Originally known as a ''guohua'' (traditionalist) painter, by the 1960s he was also renowned a ...
and attended both the
University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fi ...
and the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
.
Fang Zhaoling's experiences of hardship and danger during the 1940s were formative in her views of life and art, as the artist increasingly expressed in the inscriptions on her paintings the urgent desire for peace and prosperity of the world. Following the death of her husband, she took over the family's export-import business to raise her eight children and embarked on her fifty-year career as an artist.
Fang Zhaoling's paintings embody an attempt to locate opportunities for change within the tradition sometimes looking toward the West, but without losing sight of the norms of traditional Chinese ink painting, and paying close attention to brush-and-ink painting techniques. Alluding to both Chinese calligraphy and abstract expressionism, Fang used splashy ink washes alongside gestural brushwork. Fang also added texture to rocky surfaces in her work by scrunching paper into balls and dabbing them in ink, which she used often in her work through the 1980s and beyond. She took part in a considerable number of international exhibitions, and was inspired by her extensive travels in Japan, America, Europe and Asia in the second half of the twentieth century. She returned to China (Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing and Hefei) more frequently in the 1970s.
Fang continued to work throughout her 80s, and in 1996 received an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Hong Kong. She held her first solo show at the Fung Ping Shan Library in 1955, University of Hong Kong. The artist later donated a considerable number of her art works to the University of Hong Kong. In 2005, Fang donated 42 of her paintings to the
. These are housed alongside a joint piece that she painted with
Zhang Daqian
Chang Dai-chien or Zhang Daqian (; 10 May 1899 – 2 April 1983) was one of the best-known and most prodigious Chinese artists of the twentieth century. Originally known as a '' guohua'' (traditionalist) painter, by the 1960s he was also renowned ...
.
Personal life
Fang knew Fang Shin-hau (方心誥; 1913 – 1950), the son of well-known anti-Japanese general
Fang Zhenwu
Fang Zhenwu (; 1885 – December 1941), or Fang Cheng-wu, was a general of the Republic of China and anti-Japanese leader. He ran afoul of the Kuomintang leadership and was assassinated in 1941.
Biography Early life
Fang was born in 1885 in Shou ...
, when she was studying in the UK and married him in 1938. She bore him eight children. Fang escaped with her family to
Guilin
Guilin ( Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''; alternatively romanized as Kweilin) is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the nort ...
,
Tianjin
Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popul ...
and
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
in China due to war and resettled in Hong Kong in 1948. She was widowed in 1950. Her eight children were:
*John Fang — lawyer
*
Anson Chan
Anson Maria Elizabeth Chan Fang On-sang, (; ''née'' Fang; born 17 January 1940) is a retired Hong Kong politician and civil servant who was the first ethnic Chinese and woman to serve as Chief Secretary, the second-highest position in both ...
— first local to have served as the
Chief Secretary of colonial Hong Kong; She also acted as Governor of Hong Kong and previously served as
Chief Secretary for Administration
The Chief Secretary for Administration, commonly known as the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, is the most senior principal official of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Chief Secretary is head of the Governmen ...
as well as an elected
Legislative Councillor of Hong Kong
*Lu Fang Ningsheng — President of a travel company and honorary president of Hong Kong–Shanghai Cultural Exchange Association
*
Philip Fang
Philip Fang Shun-sang (; 28 March 1941 – 3 November 2013) was a Hong Kong simultaneous interpreter. He provided interpretation services in the United Nations (UN) from 1971 to 1999, having served as chief of its Chinese interpretation section ...
— Hong Kong
simultaneous interpretation Simultaneous interpretation (SI) is when an interpreter translates the message from the source language to the target language in real-time. Unlike in consecutive interpreting, this way the natural flow of the speaker is not disturbed and allows f ...
specialist; once served as chief of the UN Chinese interpretation section (deceased)
*Fang Kwai-sang — banker
*Fang Lam-sang — travel company manager
*Frank Fang — medical doctor
*David Fang — Orthopaedist; chairman of Hong Kong Academy of Medicine
Current exhibitions
* Women + Ink , China + Hong Kong
* Lui Shou-kwan Pioneer of New Ink: A Centenary Celebration
Past exhibitions
2018
* HOPE charity exhibition
2017
* Painting Her Way – The Ink Art of Fang Zhaoling, Asia Society, Hong Kong
* DESIRING- Post 97 Hong Kong Ink Art, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
2016
* Alisan Fine Arts: Celebrating 35 Years of Promoting Chinese Contemporary Art, Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong
2014
* Paintings by Fang Zaholing, A Century Exhibition, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK
2013
* Group show by Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Pavilion at Masterpiece London Fair, Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, UK
2012
* Solo exhibition “Fang Zhaoling, Vigorous and Fresh Chinese Ink Painting”, Alisan Fine Arts, FINE ART ASIA, Hong Kong Exhibition & Convention Centre, Hong Kong
2008
* Hong Kong Art: Open Dialogue Exhibition Series II– “New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond”, curated by Alice King, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
2006
* Solo Exhibition, Zhejiang West Lake Art Museum, Hangzhou, China
2005
* Fang Zhaoling: A Life in Painting, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco– Chong-Moon Lee Centre for Asian Art and Culture, USA
2001
* Kaleidoscope: A Group Show of Contemporary Hong Kong Art 2001 with 8 artists including Lui Shou Kwan, Fang Zhaoling and
Wucius Wong, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
* 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
1998
* Exhibition, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
1997
* Solo exhibitions of calligraphy and painting, Shanghai Art Museum; National Art Museum of China, Beijing; Shenzhen Art Museum, 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
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
* Solo exhibition, Hefei Museum, Anhui, China
* 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
* Fang Zhaoling 70th Anniversary Exhibition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1983
* Solo exhibition, organized by Shanghai Ministry of Culture, Shanghai Art Museum, China
* Exhibition of Hong Kong Arts Festival, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1982
* Exhibition, Hugh Moss Gallery, London, UK
1981
* Art’81 Exhibition, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
* Solo exhibitions, arranged by the Ministry of Culture, National Art Museum of China, Beijing; Nanjing, Wuxi, China
1978
* Solo exhibitions, Hugh Moss Gallery, London, UK
* City Hall, Hong Kong
1977
* Solo exhibition, Raya Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
1975
* Solo exhibition, Mickelson Gallery, Washington, DC, USA
1974
* Exhibition, Zachary Waller Gallery, Los Angeles, 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
1967
* Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, UK
* Contemporary Chinese Painting Exhibition, Scottish National Museum of Modern Art, Edinburgh, 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
* Exhibition, Museum of University of Oregon, USA
* 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 exhibitions, Oxford University, Cambridge, UK
* Munich University, Germany
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
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
* 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
Awards
In 2003, Fang was awarded the
Bronze Bauhinia Star
The Bronze Bauhinia Star (, BBS) is the lowest rank in Order of the Bauhinia Star in Hong Kong, created in 1997 to replace the British honours system of the Order of the British Empire after the transfer of sovereignty to People's Republic of Ch ...
for her accomplishments in Chinese ink painting and calligraphy.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fang, Zhaoling
1914 births
2006 deaths
20th-century Chinese women artists
20th-century Chinese artists
Alumni of the University of Oxford
Republic of China painters
Painters from Wuxi
Alumni of the University of Hong Kong