What is Shao Fang’s profession?

Shao Fang

Shao Fang (1918-), female, is a famous Chinese-American painter, ceramicist, and architect. Originally from Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, he now lives in the United States.

Chinese name: Shao Fang

Nationality: Chinese

Ethnicity: Han

Birthplace: Changzhou, Jiangsu

Date of birth: 1918

Occupation: Chinese painter, ceramic artist, architect

Graduation institution: West Virginia University

Main achievements: No. A female painter who went to Dunhuang to copy murals

Representative work: "The Transformation of the Western Pure Land"

Basic information

Shao Fang (1918-), female, famous Chinese-American painter, ceramicist, and architect. Originally from Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, he now lives in the United States. She is a disciple of the master of traditional Chinese painting Chen Shaomei and the first female painter to copy murals in Dunhuang. She is also a disciple of the famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959). She is also the prince Shaobao of the late Qing Dynasty and the first generation of Chinese The great-nephew and granddaughter-in-law of the famous industrialist Sheng Xuanhuai. On May 18, 2002, 84-year-old Sheng Shaofang was awarded an honorary doctorate in humanities and arts by West Virginia University.

Biography

Shao Fang was born in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province in 1918. Her ancestors were from a family of traditional Chinese medicine in Changzhou. Shao Fang has a natural nature and has been fond of painting since she was a child. Her family has long expected that she will pursue an art career when she grows up. Sure enough, she later became a disciple of the "prodigy" painter Chen Shaomei and served as Chen Shaomei's assistant. She was nicknamed "Big Brother" by her peers. Gao Jiqian recalled that one year when Shao Fang returned to China to visit relatives and friends, he stopped by Rongbaozhai in Beijing to see paintings and meditate in front of Chen Shaomei's works. The clerk came up to chat with her, and she asked the master if he had any descendants. The clerk said that he only knew of one disciple in the United States, and it was hard to say whether he was still alive! She laughed and said, the little girl is exactly the same.

In the late period of the Anti-Japanese War, she served as a researcher at the Dunhuang Art Research Institute, whose director was Chang Shuhong, a French painter known as the "Patron Saint of Dunhuang." In 1944, she, Chang Shuhong, Dong Xiwen, Zhang Daqian, Li Yu, Su Yinghui and others went to Dunhuang to copy murals. It is said that she was the first female painter to copy Dunhuang murals.

The desert, Dunhuang, Thousand Buddha Caves, and Crescent Moon Spring, which are world-famous tourist attractions today, were a wasteland outside the Great Wall with no traffic and sparsely populated areas during the Anti-Japanese War. Shao Fang, who regarded art as his life, accompanied the Dunhuang murals and indulged himself in copying them in the caves showing the flying sky.

Shao Fang copied a painting called "The Transformation of the Pure Land in the West". There were 120 Bodhisattvas in the painting, which took two months. This work that Zhang Daqian wanted to paint but never completed was praised by Director Chang Shuhong and all colleagues in the institute. Fifty years later, Li Yu, a professor at Shenyang Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts, still remembers it.

On October 17, 1940, Shao Fang married Sheng Shengbao, Prince Shaobao of the late Qing Dynasty and great-nephew of Sheng Xuanhuai, the first generation of famous industrialist in China, in Tianjin. After the marriage, Shao Fang took her husband's surname. After the marriage, because Sheng Shengbao was an engineer on the Gansu-Xinjiang Highway, Shao Fang also went on an expedition to Jiuquan with her husband, living in a harsh environment filled with yellow sand.

After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Shao Fang gradually entered the art world and rose to prominence. Before going abroad, Shao Fang held an art exhibition in Nanjing. Political celebrities Zhu Jiahua and Zhang Daofan attended the opening ceremony. The Dunhuang murals of ladies she copied accompanied her through dozens of winters and summers in foreign countries.

In the feudal and secluded era at that time, Shao Fang was considered a trendy woman who was at the forefront of the times. She loved sports and was selected as a member of the Hebei Women's Softball Team in the Sixth National Games in 1936. She was born with a good singing voice. After studying in the United States, she went to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music to further her studies. "At that time, I wanted to be both a painter and a singer."

As a young lady from a well-known family, Shao Fang was very promising. . Li Changyu found four photos of Shao Fang, a "famous girl in this city", from Tianjin's "Beiyang Pictorial" in 1934, 1935 and 1936. They were taken when she was 16 to 18 years old. One of them was published in Beiyang Pictorial in 1936, "Leaning on the Railing." "The photos are beautiful and charming.

In 1947, Taliesin School (Taliesin School), founded by American architect Wright, recruited students from all over the world, with only one enrollment quota from China.

After Wright viewed Shao Fang's paintings, especially his copies of Dunhuang works, he happily accepted the offer, and the 29-year-old Shao Fang was able to study in the United States.

Wright is recognized as one of the great architects in the world. His representative works include the Guggenheim Museum in New York, Fallingwater Village in Pennsylvania, and the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. In the 1923 Tokyo earthquake, almost all buildings were destroyed, but the Imperial Hotel remained standing. The "Prairie Style" and "Organic Architecture" theories he advocated have influenced several generations. After his death, more than 50 buildings designed by him in the United States have been converted into Wright Memorial Halls.

Life abroad

The year after Shao Fang came to the United States, Sheng Shengbao also accepted Wright's invitation to come to the United States and work as a part-time professor in the Department of Architecture at Ohio University. He originally had the opportunity to study for a PhD at Harvard University, but ultimately gave up and settled on architecture.

After the Shengs came to the United States, they received help from Fairbank and Fei Weimei and entered mainstream American society. Fairbank and his wife met Shao Fang in Chongqing in 1946, met in Nanjing, and reunited in the United States. Their friendship was extraordinary.

In 1953, Sheng Shengbao and Shao Fang moved south from Rhode Island to work for American Cyanamid on the west side of the Ohio River. In 1957, Sheng Shengbao switched jobs to Marietta Cement Company. His knowledge in civil engineering and philosophical thinking is above average. He is respected and respected both in Talison and Virginia.

In 1955, in order to live and work in peace, the Shengs took an ingenious approach and took a fancy to a piece of pleasant east-facing hillside woodland in the town of Williams, West Virginia, on the east side of the Ohio River. They decided to Build your own dreams.

As a civil engineer, Sheng Shengbao built a house according to his own ideas in order to realize his early dream. As early as 1941, Sheng Shengbao had this dream when he was still building the Yunnan-Burma Road. He wrote to Shao Fang: "I always want to build a few houses by myself. The west side of Kunming City is in the direction of the West Mountain. The terrain is indeed better than the east side, and the feng shui is better, because houses are always built with the mountains behind them and face the east. The sun hits the house early every morning, which makes us get up early and everything is full of vitality.”

A few years later, Sheng Shengbao’s dream came true in the United States. They used their spare time to build a house for themselves. , taking care of everything from design to construction, not only realizing the dream of the year, but also handing over a beautiful report card to the Wright School of Architecture. In order to return to simplicity and return to nature, the building materials mostly use original wood, use as little steel and cement as possible, and do not use dazzling decorations. They built one wood and one stone to build a glass house with three floors and a construction area of ​​about 350 square meters. When it was completed in 1955, it caused a sensation within hundreds of miles.

Today, a sawmill is still preserved in the "Yiran Pavilion", which is a witness to that period of history.

Sheng Shengbao and his wife believe that "good architecture beautifies the environment and beautifies life." This all-wood structure house has a full glass exterior wall on the east side and half glass on the west wall. It is actually a building based on Wright's "prairie architecture" and "organic architecture" concepts. It blends harmoniously with the surrounding environment. Facing the hillside, to the west is a lawn surrounded by trees and green grass. The full-screen glass on the east wall allows sunlight to penetrate completely, and you can have a panoramic view of the green water and green mountains from the indoors.

Looking up from the bottom of the mountain, you can see the glass house standing on the hillside. The house is like wings and looks like flying in the sky, which is extraordinary. Therefore, it is named "Winged Pavilion Studio" (English name: Winged Pavilion Studio) after the allusion of "There is a pavilion and winged pavilion" in Ouyang Xiu's "The Drunkard Pavilion". "Yiran Pavilion" has its back against the mountain and faces east. Sheng Shengbao wanted to always maintain "vigor", and beauty "is the convergence of God and nature in related fields."

Although these two small cities are divided by the Ohio River and belong to two states, because there are two large highway iron bridges erected over the river that can see each other from a distance, in the psychological space of the residents, the two towns are inseparable. The city is like a unified body.

The "Marietta Daily News" prominently reported the story of this glass house and its owner with pictures and text in the upper left corner of the front page. The title was "The Very Competent and Beautiful Mrs. Sheng" and published Shao Fangyi's story. This is a half-length photo of a woman wearing a black cheongsam. She looks dignified and beautiful, looking like a typical Chinese lady. The picture caption is "Protégé of Famed Architect Frank Lloydwright". The Shengs and their glass house have become the focus of big news spread by word of mouth among local residents and media interviews.

Sheng Shaofang later held an art exhibition locally. Her painting style is unique, and her artistic expression techniques are a bit like Picasso. Some people call her "China's female Picasso". She is approachable and likes to make friends. Her charm attracts residents of the whole community and she is widely respected and loved in the local mainstream society. Everyone regards her as "the angel in Eastern mythology". This is the impression Shao Fang left on local residents more than 50 years ago!

In November 2000, her city once again held a personal photography, painting, weaving, ceramics, and jewelry exhibition for her. The local mainstream newspapers reported on the front page with pictures and texts.

No wonder why I sent her a letter and she accepted it without giving a detailed address. A friend who once visited her recalled that he got lost in Williamstown and went to a local gas station to ask for directions. As soon as he mentioned the glass house, someone immediately gave him directions. It can be seen that the reputation is well-deserved.

In Marietta (Marietta) on the west bank of the Ohio River across the river from Williamstown, Sheng Shaofang also has an apartment overlooking the riverside scenery. Li Changyu, a visiting scholar at Ohio University and a teacher at the High School Affiliated to Shandong University, visited two of Shao Fang's homes in 2000 and repeatedly praised her home's "good Feng Shui."

Shao Fang proudly said that her two homes are located on the east and west banks of the Ohio River, in two states, with two bridges, one in the south and one in the north, just like the Big Zhoutian and the Little Zhoutian. It is in the middle of the two bridges, connecting the big and small, the sky, and the sky, forming a circular curve. "Where can I find such Feng Shui?" She attributes it to good Feng Shui as one of the reasons why she is nearly 90 years old and is still full of energy and youthful. .

Her apartment in Marietta is used for entertaining guests and resting; her glass house "Wing Ran Pavilion" in Williamstown is used as a residence and studio. Due to more than 50 years of wind and rain, the house has become mottled and exudes the vicissitudes of history.

Shao Fang’s current situation

Shao Fang is over 90 years old, but she has the same zodiac sign as the horse, with a "dragon-horse spirit, sea crane posture" appearance, no ears or hunched back , hands are not shaking, eyes are not dazzled, and you can thread a needle without wearing glasses. Holding the pipe and swiping the brush, the pen moves like a dragon or a snake. She was a beauty when she was young, but now the "old woman" still has the charm and beauty as before. What's even more rare is that she is healthy, optimistic, open-minded, has clear thinking, flexible movements, light steps, and no signs of age.

In daily life, she advocates the "way of balance" and believes that the most important thing is balance. No matter walking, eating, life, spirit, etc., she advocates a sense of balance. She said that as people get older, the stage of life becomes narrower and narrower, so we must pay attention to balance. She lives a fulfilling and meaningful life every day. Others think that as a lonely old woman, her life will be lonely and boring. "I have endless things to do every day, how can I have time to be lonely?"

She enjoys herself. , enjoy the joy of life in your own artistic world. She said she was a workaholic and a night owl, so calling her made it easier to find her at night. She has a wide circle of friends, and her friends are divided into groups according to their hobbies. There are people chatting over coffee; there are people practicing Qigong and Tai Chi; there are fans singing Peking Opera; there are painting friends competing against each other; there are people playing mahjong and fighting in Sifang City, etc.

She prides herself on being very frugal and scrimps on food and clothing. There is no luxury furniture in her home, and she is uncomfortable sitting on a chair worth a thousand dollars a piece. She likes to go to local garage sales and is very happy to wear clothes that only cost a few cents a piece. She is very generous to others and has sponsored several mainland Chinese students studying in the United States to complete their studies. Drinking water remembers its source, she also donated a lot of money to the Wright Museum.

She said that when a person comes into the world naked, prosperity and wealth are like passing clouds. They will not be brought by birth and will not be taken away by death. Only art will last forever and the spirit will be immortal. With her colorful life, she wrote the legend of a "wonderful woman" who took root in a foreign country. She does not pursue beautiful clothes and delicious food, but her spiritual world is solid and rich.

Shao Fang has many talents, including painting, weaving, sewing, pottery, making jewelry and singing Peking Opera. She is almost a "decathlon". Autumn, winter and spring are the three seasons when Shao Fang makes jewelry. She has a full set of jewelry processing tools, including cutting, cutting, welding, riveting, grinding, forging, casting, etc., as well as high-temperature firing kilns.

American ladies and ladies are keen on wearing jewelry that is retro, nostalgic, exotic and original. Shao Fang relied on the artistic skills accumulated through Dunhuang copying and mastered the kiln technology of ceramics and artificial agate gemstones as well as the cutting and grinding technology of metals. She used metals and ceramics as materials to make simple, elegant and beautiful earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. And other practical jewelry. The jewelry she makes is not repetitive, ever-changing, and highly artistic. Although the materials she uses are not precious metals and gemstones, because they are made by famous artists, the designs are unique and can meet the aesthetic needs of the upper class in the United States. The prices range from tens of yuan to It ranges from a few hundred yuan.

Chautauqua Lake in western New York State is a large lake dotted with sailboats, and imitation kerosene street lamps still stand in the towns around the lake. The red brick road is lined with quaint houses, giving it a strong holiday atmosphere. Handicraft exhibitions are often held in the community's central square. Every summer, Sheng Shaofang drives from West Virginia to Chautauqua to sell homemade jewelry for two months. This is her main source of income and has continued for more than 40 years. This community is home to many people who are particular about life and have artistic taste, and have strong purchasing power. The local area provides educational, artistic, religious and leisure activities, and often holds symphony, opera, drama and dance events.

Sheng Shaofang also teaches at a high-end summer school in Chautauque, where all the American celebrities come to spend their summer vacation. She taught them Chinese Kung Fu, Qigong, Tai Chi and ink painting. She is the only Chinese teacher in this school and an evergreen tree.

Li Changyu, who is familiar with her, pointed out that Shao Fang has a clear purpose in life. She always has a sense of accomplishment, pride and excitement in current affairs. She often keeps in touch with the society, actively participates in social activities, constantly stimulates her desire for creativity and pursues new things. Target. This is the secret of her "lasting youth", and it is also what he discovered through many interviews with her.

Li Changyu said that there is another reason why she can "live forever", that is, "Sheng Shengbao will always live in her heart."

The Sheng couple lived in love all their lives, but unfortunately they had no children. In 1987, Sheng Shengbao, who had always been in "excellent" health, died suddenly of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease at the age of 73. Shao Fang lost her wife and was almost in pain, but she was optimistic by nature and finally got over the pain of a broken wing.

She not only likes to create art, but also likes to do housework. She never leaves home cleaning alone. She believes that things should be done diligently but not laboriously, in an organized and orderly manner. She said that vacuuming and mopping the floor is a physical exercise. "How can you pay others to do such a good thing?" Whenever visitors from her hometown come, she will talk about the past in authentic Changzhou dialect, and Changzhou's famous bad noodles are about to be lost. Vegetable cakes are her specialty!

Sheng Shaofang is also a Peking Opera enthusiast. She once studied under Cheng Yanqiu and learned the role of Tsing Yi. Her mantra is: One minute on stage, ten years of hard work off stage. She said that singing Peking Opera is like doing aerobic exercise and practicing Qigong. She entertains herself every day and insists on singing for an hour or two. Even in her old age, she still sings with perfect pronunciation, clear rhymes and rich voice. From the crisp singing voice of Cheng Pai Qingyi, to the light figure, dexterous orchid fingers, etc., she looks like a professional Peking Opera actor. One winter, she went to Beijing to visit relatives and friends, stayed at the Beijing Hotel, and hung her voice in the open air outside the lobby every morning. She sang and performed alone, attracting many people to watch, and the security guards had to clear the place for her!

She is eager to learn and never tires of learning. She lives and learns until she is old. On May 18, 2002, 84-year-old Sheng Shaofang was awarded an honorary doctorate in humanities and arts by West Virginia University.