Jiawei Shen
Encyclopedia
Shen Jiawei is a Chinese Australian
painter. He is a winner of the 2006 Sir John Sulman Prize.
and emigrated to Australia in 1989. He was largely self-taught and became popular with the Chinese government for his 'revolutionary' images of workers and soldiers. His best known work from that period, “Standing Guard for Our Great Motherland” (1974) was subsequently shown in the Guggenheim Museum
, both in New York
and Bilbao
, in the China: 5000 Years exhibition, 1998.
In 1995 Shen won the Mary MacKillop
Art Award and received a medal from Pope John Paul II
. He is now one of Australia’s leading portrait artists known for the academic and literary qualities of his works.
Shen is also a painter of large-scale history pictures represented in major public collections; including the National Art Gallery of China and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution in Beijing
. His more playful works examine political and cross-cultural issues through appropriation. “Absolute Truth” (2000) shows Mikhail Gorbachev
and the Pope conversing in the Sistine Chapel and in “Wise Men from the East” (2002) the Magi in Leonardo da Vinci
's unfinished Adoration of the Magi are Chinese sages.
Recent portraits include former Melbourne
Lord Mayor John So
in a possum skin cloak (2003), the Hon. Tom Hughes AO QC, the portrait of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (2005) which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery
, Canberra
and the portrait of John Howard
former Prime Minister of Australia
which hangs in the Members' Hall of the Australian Parliament House
as part of the Historic Memorials Collection.
In 2006, he won the Sir John Sulman Prize.
Shen and some of his work featured in the 2001 Australian documentary "Yum Cha Cha", directed by Boyd Britton.
He was a finalist in the 2011 Archibald Prize
.
Shen's wife Lan Wang is also a painter, as well as sculptor.
Chinese Australian
Chinese Australian is an Australian of Chinese heritage. In the 2006 Australian Census, 669,890 Australian residents identified themselves as having Chinese ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry....
painter. He is a winner of the 2006 Sir John Sulman Prize.
Life and work
Shen Jiawei was born in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and emigrated to Australia in 1989. He was largely self-taught and became popular with the Chinese government for his 'revolutionary' images of workers and soldiers. His best known work from that period, “Standing Guard for Our Great Motherland” (1974) was subsequently shown in the Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
, both in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, in the China: 5000 Years exhibition, 1998.
In 1995 Shen won the Mary MacKillop
Mary MacKillop
Mary Helen MacKillop , also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, was an Australian Roman Catholic nun who, together with Father Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia with an emphasis on...
Art Award and received a medal from Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. He is now one of Australia’s leading portrait artists known for the academic and literary qualities of his works.
Shen is also a painter of large-scale history pictures represented in major public collections; including the National Art Gallery of China and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. His more playful works examine political and cross-cultural issues through appropriation. “Absolute Truth” (2000) shows Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
and the Pope conversing in the Sistine Chapel and in “Wise Men from the East” (2002) the Magi in Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
's unfinished Adoration of the Magi are Chinese sages.
Recent portraits include former Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
Lord Mayor John So
John So
John Chun Sai So JP is a Chinese-Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people; previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Councillors.First elected...
in a possum skin cloak (2003), the Hon. Tom Hughes AO QC, the portrait of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (2005) which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery
National Portrait Gallery (Australia)
The National Portrait Gallery of Australia is a collection of portraits of prominent Australians that are important in their field of endeavour or whose life sets them apart as an individual of long-term public interest...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and the portrait of John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
former Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
which hangs in the Members' Hall of the Australian Parliament House
Parliament House, Canberra
Parliament House is the meeting facility of the Parliament of Australia located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. The building was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects and opened on 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia...
as part of the Historic Memorials Collection.
In 2006, he won the Sir John Sulman Prize.
Shen and some of his work featured in the 2001 Australian documentary "Yum Cha Cha", directed by Boyd Britton.
He was a finalist in the 2011 Archibald Prize
Archibald Prize 2011 finalists
Below is a list of finalists for the 2011 Archibald Prize ;* Abdul Abdullah - Waleed Aly* Giles Alexander - Space or bust * Del Kathryn Barton - Mother ...
.
Shen's wife Lan Wang is also a painter, as well as sculptor.