Jiawei Shen

SHEN Jiawei was born in Shanghai in 1948. His oil painting “Standing Guard for Our Great Motherland”, created in 1974, had a nationwide impact and became one of the iconic works of art during the Cultural Revolution. SHEN Jiawei’s artworks have won five National Art Exhibition Awards in China and numerous awards in Australia and overseas, including being shortlisted for the prestigious Archibald Prize 14 times (with a second-place win in 1997). He has completed numerous portrait commissions from Australia and overseas and has created official portraits for many Australian government figures. Six of his works are held in the National Portrait Gallery and Parliament House in Canberra; 18 of his works are held in the Chinese National Museum, the China Art Museum, and the Chinese Military Museum in Beijing. His portrait of Pope Francis is currently held in the Vatican.