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FangZhaoling
1Oct201422Feb2015atAshmoleanMuseum,Oxford

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Fang Zhaoling (19142006), Flowering branches on cliffs, 1978, Ink and colour on paper, 68.6 x 88.9 cm, Private
Collection, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

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TheautumnexhibitionintheAshmoleansChinesePaintingsGallerycommemoratesthelife

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ofFangZhaoling(19142006).Drawnfromprivatecollections,includingtheFangfamily
collection,manyoftheworksareondisplayforthefirsttimeinpublic.

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FangZhaolingwasborninWuxi,JiangsuProvinceineastChina,theelderoftwodaughters

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ofanaffluentfamily.Herfather,anindustrialist,wasassassinatedin1925amidstsocialand
politicalupheavalinChina.Inspiteofthistragedy,Fangsmothercontinuedtoprovidea
remarkablyliberalandwiderangingeducationforherdaughters.Fangstartedtostudy
Chinesepaintingandcalligraphyattheageofthirteen,latergoingontoanartcollegein
Wuxi.
In1937shewasacceptedbyManchesterUniversityinEnglandandshemarriedherfellow
student,FangSinkao,ayearlater,returningwithhimtoChinaattheoutbreakofthe
SecondWorldWar.Inthefollowingyears,thefamilywasdisplacedandmovedaround
China,allowingFanglittleopportunitytopaint.TheysettledinHongKongin1948but
FangSinkaodiedsuddenlyjusttwoyearslater.
Inadditiontotakingoverherhusbandsbusiness,Fangwaslefttobringupeightyoung
childrenonherown:sixboysandtwingirls.EachofFangschildrenwentontolead
distinguishedcareers,mostnotablyAnsonChanwhobecameChiefSecretaryoftheBritish
ColonialGovernmentofHongKongandoftheHongKongSpecialAdministrativeRegion
http://wsimag.com/art/10784fangzhaoling

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governmentunderChineseruleuntil2001.
Followingherhusbandsdeath,FangZhaolingresumedpaintingwithextraordinary
diligenceandperseverance.ShestudiedwiththeLingnanSchoolmaster,ZhaoShaoang
(19051998),andlaterwithoneofthemostcelebratedChineseartists,ZhangDaqian
(18991983).Fangspaintingsandinscriptionsalsosuggestthatshewastakinginspiration
fromearliermasterssuchasQiBaishi(18641957).Fromthe1950stothe70s,Fanglived
andtravelledinEuropeandAmericawhereshebecameknowledgeableabouttrendsin
modernWesternpainting.
Inthe1960ssheexperimentedwithWesternmediaandsubjectmatter,producingabstract
paintingsinoilsandlatertacklingcontemporaryissuessuchastheplightofVietnamese
boatpeopleandtheenvironment.Herenduringpassionwas,however,thetraditional
Chinesestyle,rootedinnationalhistoryandculture.Shewasfascinatedbythesimplicityof
Hanmuralpaintings(202BCAD220)andshedevelopedadistinctivestyleofherownin
bothfigurepaintingsandinherlandscapeswhich,fromthe1970s,oftencombine
calligraphiclinesandformstoillustratemountainsandrocksinsteadofusingthe
traditionalcunmethodofinkstrokes.
ThepaintingsondisplayinthiscentenaryexhibitionaremostlyfromtheFangfamily
collection,throughtheFangZhaolingFoundation,includingmanyworkswhichhavenever
beenpublished.ThreepaintingsarefromthecollectionofDavidHawkes(19232009),one
ofFangstutorswhenshestudiedattheUniversityofOxfordfrom195658.Theexhibition
alsoincludesfivepaintingsbyFangfromtheNanshunShanfangCollection,Singapore.
ShelaghVainker,SeniorCuratorofChineseArt,AshmoleanMuseum,says:FangZhaoling
wasoneofChinasforemostmodernartistswhoselongcareerandremarkablelifewasset
againstthebackdropoftheturbulenceoftwentiethcenturyChina.TheAshmoleanis
profoundlygratefultotheindividualswhohavelentworkstothiscentenaryexhibitionand
wehopethedisplaywillgivevisitorstheopportunitytoseesomeofhergreatestworksand
tolearnaboutherlife.
AshmoleanMuseum

BeaumontSt
OxfordOX12PHUnitedKingdom
Ph.+44(0)1865278002
exhibitions.officer@ashmus.ox.ac.uk
www.ashmolean.org
Openinghours

TuesdaySundayfrom10amto5pm
Mondayfrom10amto5pm
Relatedimages

1. FangZhaoling(19142006),Stonehenge,1994,Inkandcolouronpaper,78.7x102.9
cm,PrivateCollectionAshmoleanMuseum,UniversityofOxford
2. FangZhaoling(19142006),InksplashlandscapeofGuilin,197795,Inkandcolour
onpaper,69.9x105.4cm,PrivateCollectionAshmoleanMuseum,Universityof
Oxford
3. FangZhaoling(19142006),MountHualandscape,1973,Inkandcolouronpaper,
42x69.1cm,PrivateCollectionAshmoleanMuseum,UniversityofOxford
4. FangZhaoling(19142006),Lotus,1980,Inkandcolouronpaper,68.6x137.2cm,
PrivateCollectionAshmoleanMuseum,UniversityofOxford
http://wsimag.com/art/10784fangzhaoling

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5. FangZhaoling(19142006),Peonies,1957,Inkandcolouronpaper,54.7x37cm,
PrivateCollectionAshmoleanMuseum,UniversityofOxford
6. FangZhaoling(19142006),Plumblossom,1961,Inkandcolouronpaper,47x42
cm,PrivateCollectionAshmoleanMuseum,UniversityofOxford
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Captions
1. FangZhaoling(19142006),Stonehenge,1994,Inkandcolouronpaper,78.7x102.9cm,PrivateCollectionAshmoleanMuseum,
UniversityofOxford
2. FangZhaoling(19142006),InksplashlandscapeofGuilin,197795,Inkandcolouronpaper,69.9x105.4cm,PrivateCollection
AshmoleanMuseum,UniversityofOxford
3. FangZhaoling(19142006),MountHualandscape,1973,Inkandcolouronpaper,42x69.1cm,PrivateCollectionAshmoleanMuseum,
UniversityofOxford
4. FangZhaoling(19142006),Lotus,1980,Inkandcolouronpaper,68.6x137.2cm,PrivateCollectionAshmoleanMuseum,Universityof
Oxford
5. FangZhaoling(19142006),Peonies,1957,Inkandcolouronpaper,54.7x37cm,PrivateCollectionAshmoleanMuseum,Universityof
Oxford
6. FangZhaoling(19142006),Plumblossom,1961,Inkandcolouronpaper,47x42cm,PrivateCollectionAshmoleanMuseum,University
ofOxford

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