VICTOR WANG - Odon Wagner Gallery

VICTOR WANG
A
V I S I O N
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B E H O L D
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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A VISION TO BEHOLD
Odon Wagner Contemporary is proud to be mounting
the second solo exhibition of new works by outstanding
figurative painter Victor Wang. For those familiar with his
work, this is not a departure from paintings past but a
progression of common themes and a heightening of the
understated drama within his pictures. Wang’s women
remain both ethereal and earthbound in their ability to
project an untold narrative within the dreamlike confines
of the painted canvas.
With these new paintings, Wang breaks away from solitary
figures cropped to emphasize their faces, to using objects,
animals, or an architectural structure to frame his female
subjects, adding depth and detail to their private stories.
Like the protagonists in a silent film, these women engage
the viewer in a personal dialogue, offering a glimpse into
a world where they represent the heroine, the muse, the
stoic or tragic figure.
Mao, the way the flower follows the sun. The flowers
more often wilted, bring forth notions of life and death both
spiritually and allegorically and they represent a significant
part of the artist’s personal story. As do the women
themselves, often depicted wearing the headscarves
typical of the region where he grew up.
Wang’s use of the female subject is reminiscent of the PreRaphaelite women, particularly Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s
A Vision of Fiammetta from 1878. Like the women in
Wang’s painting, Fiammetta stands glowing against a dark
background, apple blossoms abound, said to signify the
transience of beauty. Rossetti’s models were ordinary
women brought to life often as literary figures, representing
both beauty and substance. Victor Wang has followed
in this tradition, offering a veritable feast of elements to
contemplate and appreciate for years to come.
There is a beautiful union between purely aesthetic and
conceptual principles in Victor Wang’s work that makes his
sumptuous canvases irresistible. Unlike so many paintings
devoted to the female form and face, Victor Wang’s
work eschews sentimentality and objectification for a
more symbolic reading, where the woman is a vehicle as
much as a vision to behold. In this case, China’s Cultural
Revolution remains the backdrop for Wang’s imagery, with
the sunflower representing the people of China following
Elissa McGillivray
Odon Wagner Contemporary
October 2009
Front Cover: DRUMMER (DETAIL), oil on canvas, 52 x 50 in. / 133 x 127 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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SUNSET
oil on canvas, 45 x 63 in. / 114 x 160 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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PINK LAND
oil on canvas, 38 x 28 in. / 96 x 72 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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THE WALL
oil on canvas, 46 x 46 in. / 117 x 117 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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AFTER THE RAIN
oil on canvas, 55 x 78 in. / 140 x 198 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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MEMORIES
oil on canvas, 63 x 47 in. / 160 x 119 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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MEMORY HOLDING
oil on canvas, 35 x 39 in. / 89 x 99 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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DRUMMER
oil on canvas, 52 x 50 in. / 133 x 127 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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LUMINOUS SKY
oil on canvas, 46 x 48 in. / 117 x 122 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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APPROACHING STORM
oil on canvas, 53 x 50 in. / 135 x 127 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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DREAM OF JOURNEY
oil on canvas, 48 x 63 in. / 122 x 160 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
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REALIZATION
oil on canvas, 46 x 63 in. / 116 x 160 cm
A Vision to Behold. Victor Wang
VICTOR WANG
EDUCATION
1988-1990 1988-1990 1987-1988 1979-1983 MFA (Art Studio), Department of Fine Arts, Fontbonne University, St. Louis, MO
Visiting Scholar (Painting), School of Fine Arts, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Visiting Scholar (Painting), School of Art and Design, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
BFA (Oil Painting), Department of Oil Painting, Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2009 2008 2007 2006
2005 2004 2003 2002 1999 1997 1996 2009
Odon Wagner Contemporary, Toronto, ON
Arcadia Gallery, New York, NY
Fontbonne University Art Gallery, St. Louis, MO
Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
Odon Wagner Contemporary, Toronto, ON
Arcadia Gallery, New York, NY
Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
Cinema Gallery, Urbana, IL
Mackey Gallery, Houston, TX
Luna de 527 Gallery, Houston, TX
Elan Fine Arts Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Elan Fine Arts Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2008
2007
2006 Toronto International Art Fair (Odon Wagner Contemporary)
Art Chicago, Chicago, IL
Palmbeach3 Contemporary Art, Palm Beach, FL
Toronto International Art Fair (Odon Wagner Contemporary)
Beijing Art Salon, Beijing, China
Los Angeles Art Show, Los Angeles, CA
Toronto International Art Fair (Odon Wagner Contemporary)
Art Miami, FL
Los Angeles Art Show, CA
“International Blitz” Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO
Toronto International Art Fair (Odon Wagner Contemporary)
Art Chicago
Art Miami
HONOURS & AWARDS
2007 2006 2001 2000 1999 Scholar and Artist Award, Winner, Fontbonne University, St. Louis MO
Finalist, The Artist’s Magazine 23rd Annual Art Competition
An Award of Excellence, Art St. Louis XVII, Art St. Louis, St. Louis
Bob and Sara Davies Merit Award, 50th Mid-States Art Exhibition, Evansville Museum of Art and Science, Evansville, IN
Award of Excellence Prize, Forte Cup 20th Century Asian Pacific Art Competition, Asian Pacific
Art Institute of America, Forte International Inc., Ellicott City, MD
1998 Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching 1998, Office of the Governor, Jefferson, MO
CREDITS
CURATORS GRAPHIC DESIGN BACK COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
PRINTING
Nicholas Wagner, Rafael Wagner and Odon Wagner
iD Inspired Design, Toronto (www.inspireddesign.ca)
Al Gilbert
Solisco Caractera, Quebec (www.solisco.com)
198 Davenport Road. Toronto, ON M5R 1J2 Canada 416.962.0438 800.551.2465 info@odonwagnergallery.com www.odonwagnergallery.com
ISBN: 978-0-9811390-5-0 National Library of Canada “Victor Wang: A Vision to Behold” Copyright: Odon Wagner Gallery, 2009