Artist inspired by frescoes is a darling of big brands
There are piles of heavy books on tables, bookshelves and chairs in Liang Yuanwei’s Beijing art studio. The 40-year-old has been researching fresco art both in China and the West.
This, she says, is her usual way of creating art — doing lots of research before putting her own feelings and ideas onto canvas.
Her style is reflected in her work. She loves repeating a single pattern — a petal or a flower. Repetition is Liang’s way of expressing her feelings, hoping that viewers will focus on the movements of her brush instead of the pattern or the story her painting tells.
She says that although her monkish way of producing art is very slow, she persists with it.
She has worked with many top fashion brands.
She produced a painting for Dior’s show in 2012. Earlier this year, she was invited to design a bag for Fendi.
“The art circle is small. So, I find that working with brands takes my art to larger audiences,” says Liang.
When Liang was in Rome doing research on fresco art in Europe last autumn, she was invited by Rolls-Royce to be one of the seven artists from across the globe to create an artwork for its new motor car Phantom’s glass dashboard, as part of a project called The Gallery.
Liang did an oil painting called Autumn Palette on a thin and long board, featuring leaves and flower petals, which was inspired by her visit to the Rolls-Royce factory in Goodwood, England.
It took her six months to complete the work in which she used techniques she had learned while studying Italian frescoes.
The scroll-like oil painting features Liang’s repetition of patterns — leaves and flowers.
However, the artist says she wants to offer viewers a journey-like experience.
Liang, who was born in Xi’an in Northwest China’s Shaanxi province, got her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
After she was selected to produce artwork for the Chinese Pavilion at the 2011 Venice Biennial, she exhibited works in Pace London.
In recent years, Liang has showed great interest in classical European art and traditional Chinese art, especially that from before the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
ln late August, she will go to Dunhuang, the home of China’s largest Buddhist art trove in the caves of Gansu province, to learn about fresco art of the Tang Dynasty (618907).
Liang says she wants to study Chinese literati art, or wenrenhua — an art form used by Chinese scholarpainters, who were interested in personal expression.
The art circle is small. So, I find that working with brands takes my art to larger audiences.”
Liang Yuanwei, artist