Victor Wang
Chinese-American
Artist Statement
The path through life has been adventurous, exciting, and dream-like. Coming from China and looking for a better opportunity has been a fully challenging and great experience. For me, what I imagined of America and what actually was truly created a great gap, thus forming a battle between physical settlement and mental anxiety. In my recent works, I have tried to ambivalently display this kind of emotional drama with the mixture of exhilarating, confusing, and exasperating tensions.
I grew up with sunflower fields surrounding my house in northern China. In my childhood years, I recalled playing under the bright, yellow sunflowers with my brothers everyday. Sunflowers, always following the sun’s movements, were used during the Cultural Revolution as a political allegory to the way people should act towards Mao, who represented the sun. Gradually, the people of China realized that this symbol of the follower was really masking a deception. Therefore, to transcend my complex feelings, I use sunflowers as a metaphor to connote my background and emotional stage.
My desire is to visualize the human sensitivity of the lost and found emotions upon my life experiences. Although I often gain great pleasure from the process of painting, it is most important to unfold expressively those sentiments within myself.
Selected Awards
2007 | Scholar/ Artist Award, Fontbonne University, St. Louis, MO |
2006 | Finalist, The Artist’s Magazine 23rd Annual Art Competition |
2001 | An Award of Excellence, Art St. Louis XVII, Art St. Louis, St. Louis, MO |
1999 | Award of Excellence Prize, Forte Cup 20th Century Asian Pacific Art Competition, Asian Pacific Art Institute of America, Ellicott City, MD |
1998 | Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching 1998, Office of the Governor, Jefferson, MO |
1991 | First Prize, Portrait Competition 1991, St. Louis Artists’ Guild, St. Louis, MO |
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2019 |
Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis
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2017 | Yu-Hsiu Museum of Art, Nantou, Taiwan |
2016 | Cinema Gallery, Urbana, IL |
2014 | Atrium Gallery, St. Louis MO |
2013 | Odon Wagner Contemporary, Toronto, ON |
2011 | Evan Lurie Gallery, Indianapolis, IN |
2010 | Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO |
2009 | Odon Wagner Contemporary, Toronto, ON |
2008 | Arcadia Gallery, New York, NY |
Art Gallery of Fontbonne University, St. Louis, MO | |
2007 | Atrium Galllery, St. Louis, MO |
2006 | Odon Wagner Contemporary, Toronto, ON |
2005 | Arcadia Gallery, New York, NY |
2004 | Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO |
2002 | Macke Gallery, Houston, TX |
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019 |
Gallery Victor Armendariz at SOFA CHICAGO 2019, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL
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RJD Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY
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Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, 33 Contemporary, Wausau, WI
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33 Contemporary, Chicago, IL
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2018 |
Gallery at Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL
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2017 |
Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL
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2017-19 | Art Toronto, Toronto, ON |
2016 | Sofa Chicago 2016, Chicago, IL |
Art Palm Beach 2016, Palm Beach, FL | |
LA Art Show 2016, Los Angeles, CA | |
2015 | Texas Contemporary Art Fair, Houston, TX |
The Affordable Art Fair, New York, NY | |
Art Palm Beach 2016, Palm Beach, FL | |
L A Art Show 2016, Los Angeles, CA | |
2014 | Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science, Evansville, IN |
Art Hamptons, New York, NY | |
Evoke Contemporary Gallery, Santa Fe, NM | |
2013-2014 | Art Toronto, Toronto, ON |
2012 | Art Palm Beach, Palm Beach, FL |
Boston International Art Fair, Boston, MA | |
Art Toronto, Toronto, ON | |
San Francisco Fine Art Fair, CA | |
2011 | Red Dot Art Fair Miami 2011, FL |
Murphy Hill Gallery, Chicago, IL | |
Silver 25th, Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO | |
Scope Miami 2011, Miami, FL | |
Art Toronto, Toronto, ON | |
2010 | Schmidt Art Center, Belleville, IL |
Art Chicago, Chicago, IL | |
Art Toronto, Toronto ON | |
2009 | Palmbeach3, Palm Beach, FL |
2008 | Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto,ON |
2007 | Art Miami 2007, Miami, FL |
Los Angeles Art Show, CA | |
Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO | |
2006 | Art Chicago, IL |
Art Miami, FL | |
2005 | Arnot Art Muesum, Elmira, NY |
Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto, ON | |
Chicago Contemporary & Classic, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL | |
Art Miami, Miami, FL | |
2004 | Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto, ON |
Art Miami, Miami, FL | |
2003 | Arcadia Gallery, New York, NY |
2002 | Home Grown, Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO |
Honor Awards 2002, Art St. Louis, St. Louis, MO | |
2001 | 50th Mid-States Art Exhibition, Evansville Museum of Art and Science, Evansville, IN |
2000 | The Gallery on Washington St, St. Louis, MO |
St. Louis Area Artists’ Invitational Show, Southwestern Illinois College, Belleville Granite City, IL |
Education
1988-90 | MFA, Deptartment of Fine Arts, Fontbonne University, St. Louis, MO |
1987-90 | Visiting Scholar, School of Fine Arts, Fontbonne University, St. Louis, MO |
1987-88 | Visiting Scholar, School of Art and Design, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
1979-83 | BFA, Department of Oil Painting, Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, Shenyang, Liaoning, China |