SHEN Jiawei | People in History, People Today
SHEN JIAWEI RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION
SHEN Jiawei | People in History, People Today
This exhibition is a pivotal show of Rochfort Gallery in 2024, presenting an exclusive retrospective of Shen Jiawei that includes nearly 500 portrayed individuals. The exhibition takes you to an immersive viewing experience with a fresh curatorial approach that brings history and today’s insights together. This exhibition is expected to create a significant impact and captivate the art community.
Shen Jiawei, a 14-time finalist of the Archibald Prize, has been recognised for his enormous contributions to art. This exhibition will feature a painting spanning over 30 meters, meticulously crafted over more than a decade by SHEN Jiawei. Alongside this monumental piece, the display will include numerous other works, among which 13 have been recognised as award-winning or finalist paintings, showcasing a broad perspective on his remarkable contributions to the art world.
SHEN Jiawei is obsessed with history books and has self-promoted as an artist specialising in representing history through his paintings. Nonetheless, after decades of drawing and painting, he looks back and realises that the history in his work consists of nothing more than people – a collage of historical figures. He is, after all, a portrait painter.
Jiawei migrated to Australia as a middle-aged man. Penniless, he survived on his professional training through sketching portraits on the street. Decades has passed and the content of his portfolio has developed from tourists to a prime minister, a governor general, a cardinal, a princess and two popes, and he has become a publicly acknowledged master portrait painter. Time flies, his subjects have been ingested into history: the prime minister elected and rejected, the princess now a queen. Jiawei finally understands that he is indeed an artist specialising in history.
And what’s more, he has painted himself into the history.
Do you agree with Jiawei that you and he, and all of us are part of history? We are the onlookers of history; but we are also its hostages. In the grand cosmos, our global village is a small dot, and we are merely the dust. But back in our world, every lively face represents a unique cosmos. This is what gives significance and satisfaction to Jiawei, a portrait painter specialising in history, and to you.
English translated by Vivian Bi
PEOPLE IN HISTORY, PEOPLE TODAY
SHEN Jiawei's Retrospective Exhibition
22 May - 29 Jun 2024
317 Pacific Hwy, North Sydney NSW 2060
GRAND OPENING
Saturday 25th May 2024
1 - 3 pm
PEOPLE IN HISTORY
人在历史
Shen Jiawei
Revolution (2010-2018)
革命
Oil on canvas
198 x 1096 cm
Brothers and Sisters — China from July 1936 to June 1937
兄弟阋于墙 — 中国1936年7月-1937年6月
Shen Jiawei
Resistance (2010-2018)
救亡
Oil on canvas
198 x 1096 cm
Brothers and Sisters — China from July 1936 to June 1937
兄弟阋于墙 — 中国1936年7月-1937年6月
Shen Jiawei
Renaissance (2010-2018)
启蒙
Oil on canvas
198 x 1096 cm
Brothers and Sisters — China from July 1936 to June 1937
兄弟阋于墙 — 中国1936年7月-1937年6月
Shen Jiawei
1907 Napier 60hp “Six” (2001)
奈皮埃 1907
Oil on canvas
213 x 213 cm
Shen Jiawei
Eileen Chang (2016)
张爱玲
Oil on canvas
92 x 77 cm
PEOPLE TODAY
人在当下
Shen Jiawei
Tri-Selves (2006)
三重自我
on canvas
213 x 198 cm
Winner of the Holding Redlich People’s Choice Award S.H.Ervin Gallery 2007
Shen Jiawei
Self Portrait (1985)
自画像
Oil on canvas
102 x 72 cm
Shen Jiawei
The 100th Birthday (2015-17)
一百岁
Oil on canvas
137 x 107 cm
Finalist of the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize 2017
Shen Jiawei
Parents (2012)
双亲
Oil on canvas
122 x 153 cm
Shen Jiawei
Wang Lan (1991)
王兰
Oil on canvas
91 x 91 cm
Shen Jiawei
Tamsin (1999)
坦姆莘
Oil on canvas
91 x 91 cm
Shen Jiawei
Xini (2005)
曦妮
Oil on canvas
183 x 112 cm
Highly commended the Doug Moran Portrait Prize 2006
Shen Jiawei
Xini and Billy (2006)
曦妮和比利
Oil on canvas
167 x 91 cm
Finalist of the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize 2007; Second Prize winner of the Shirley Hannan Portrait Prize in Bega Valley Regional Art Gallery 2007
Shen Jiawei
Xini (1995)
曦妮
Oil on canvas
91 x 91 cm
Shen Jiawei
Look! Whales! (2020)
快看！鲸鱼！
Oil on canvas
137 x 137 cm
Finalist of the Darling Portrait Prize NPG 2021
Shen Jiawei
Edmund Capon (2003)
埃德蒙 凯朋
Oil on canvas
198 x 167 cm
Winner of the Holding Redch People’s Chioce Award S.H.Ervin Gallery 2003
Shen Jiawei
Andrew Sayers (2015)
安德鲁 赛耶斯
Oil on canvas
183 x 137 cm
Shen Jiawei
Mabel Lee (1991)
梅柏尔
Oil on canvas
137 x 137 cm
Shen Jiawei
Eyewitness (1997)
目击者
Oil on canvas
198 x 213 cm
Finalist of the Archibald Prize 1998
Shen Jiawei
Guo Jian and Elly (1998)
郭健和爱丽
Oil on canvas
183 x 122 cm
Finalist of the Sir John Sulman Prize 1999
Shen Jiawei
The Lady From Shanghai (2002)
来自上海的女士
Oil on canvas
203 x 152 cm
Finalist of the Archibald Price 2002
Shen Jiawei
It is Not A Photo (2005)
这不是照片
Oil on canvas
167 x 305 cm
Finalist of the Archibald Prize 2006
Shen Jiawei
William Yang (1999)
杨威廉
Oil on canvas
183 x 213 cm
Finalist of the Archibald Prize 1999
Shen Jiawei
Red Sail (2018)
红帆
Oil on canvas
198 x 213 cm
Shen Jiawei
Yalda Our Girl (2017)
雅尔达我们的女儿
Oil on canvas
183 x 167 cm
The 8th Beijing International Art Biennale 2019
Shen Jiawei
A Prince’s Family (2021)
王爷府
Oil on canvas
153 x 153 cm
Finalist of the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize 2021
Shen Jiawei
Counterpoint (1995)
对位
Oil on canvas
213 x 137 cm
Finalist of the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize 1996
Shen Jiawei
Eternal Hug (2013)
永远的狮抱
Oil on canvas
213 x 167 cm
Shen Jiawei
James Bradley. the Director of the Babel (2023)
电影导演杰姆斯
Oil on canvas
91 x 61 cm
Shen Jiawei
A Couple (2022)
夫妻
Oil on canvas
183 x 167 cm
Shen Jiawei
Leadership (2023)
领导力
Oil on canvas
122 x 102 cm
Shen Jiawei
Professor John Clark (1993)
姜苦乐教授
Pastel and charcoal pencil on paper
40 x 40 cm
Shen Jiawei
Study of the Official Portrait of Hon John Howard (2009)
霍华德总理像的习作
Oil on canvas
46 x 36 cm
Shen Jiawei
Sir Peter Cosgrove (2018)
澳洲总督科斯格罗夫
Oil on canvas
84 x 71 cm
Shen Jiawei
Study for Portrait of John So, Lord Mayor of Melbourne (2003)
苏震西市长肖像的习作
Oil on canvas
61 x 30.5 cm
Shen Jiawei
Uncle Max (1999)
麦克斯大叔
Pastel and charcoal pencil on paper
42 x 29 cm
Shen Jiawei