Fang Zhaoling: A Life in Painting

The work of prolific Chinese painter, Fang Zhaoling are explored in this beautifully illustrated art book.

This catalogue sheds needed light on her long career, during which she consistently produced innovative work of charm and distinction. Her paintings are marked by a delightful style that is distinctly her own.

Fang Zhaoling (1914-2006) was educated in the techniques of traditional Chinese painting. It is a testament to her determination and her family’s foresight that this was so, for such an education was uncommon for women of her generation. She continued throughout her life to form important associations and collaborations with leading Chinese painters, and she has played an integral role in the history of modern Chinese painting. Fang Zhaoling also studied in Europe, where she was exposed to modernist Western concepts. As a result of her international travels and studies and her uniquely rich life experience, she developed a delightful style that is distinctly her own. Fang Zhaoling is an engaged artist who does not shy from addressing political and social issues. In her choice of subjects and inscriptions. She speaks with a clear and compelling voice that calls out to be heard, as the present selection of her paintings and calligraphies demonstrates.

Melissa J. Walt, a leading expert on Chinese women artists of the twentieth century, teaches at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington.