Chinese painting, revealing unique charm with each brush stroke, is one of the brilliant treasures of Chinese culture. Their love for China guides overseas Chinese to share the fabulous art forms of Chinese calligraphy and painting with the world. Deng Xueying, a calligrapher and painter who resides in Australia, is one of those overseas Chinese.

East Meets West

In 2012, after settling down in Australia, Deng met several overseas Chinese, and they all had a strong interest in Chinese calligraphy and painting. While they had a great love for Chinese painting, they lacked sufficient communication platforms to share the art form with non-Chinese. 

So, Deng established the Australia Calligraphers and Painters Association, in Sydney, to bring together Chinese painting enthusiasts, so they could share their painting skills and experiences. 

Deng Xueying (left) and Wang He, founder of the Australia Calligraphers Association, pose for a photo at China Cultural Center (Sydney)

At first, the association had about 10 members. Now, it has more than 200 formal members. Calligraphy and painting enthusiasts, from various countries, communicate and learn from each other in their online chat group. 

"Chinese painting is deeply loved by people from different countries, and our association is committed to promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and the West," Deng says. 

Deng, who has loved painting since childhood, first learned how to create Western oil paintings. While learning how to sketch, she honed her ability to use perspective in her drawings, and that laid a good foundation for her progression as a painter.

Once, a Chinese painting of peonies, exhibited at the youth palace in her hometown, deeply touched Deng's heart. The painter's brushstrokes seemed to bring the pink and white peonies to life, and the vivid artistic conception intoxicated Deng. So, she decided to begin studying Chinese painting. 

As she progressed as a painter, Deng began to realize the importance of integrating Chinese and Western cultures. "Chinese painting emphasizes 'forming with one stroke,' which means one should think about the composition of the painting before starting. The skills of drawing in perspective, emphasized in sketching, are of great benefit to creating a Chinese painting," she says. 

In 2023, Deng and Wang He, founder of the Australia Calligraphers Association, organized three calligraphy and painting exhibitions. 

The Fine Works Exhibition of Chinese and Western Calligraphers and Painters, held in September 2023, displayed the art works of 21 overseas Chinese calligraphers and painters, including oil paintings and Chinese paintings. The exhibitions provided favorable platforms for artists to communicate and learn from each other. 

Inheriting Culture 

"Cultural inheritors are like ferries carrying Chinese culture on the vast oceans in the world," Deng says. She has strived tirelessly to build bridges to ensure the inheritance of Chinese painting overseas. 

Painting from life is very important, as the vibrant nature can nurture a painter's perception of beauty. To solve the problem of the lack of places for artists to paint from life, Deng in 2022 cooperated with a mushroom farm, in Canberra, to establish a calligraphy and painting base. 

On the day of the base's opening, Deng presented two paintings, themed plum blossom, to the farm's owner. "Bringing painters to Canberra, and to the great nature, can promote communication and interaction of the art communities of Sydney and Canberra," Deng says. 

Unlike Sydney, she adds, Canberra's natural scenery and cultural charm can help painters innovate their painting language, and, in turn, the content of their Chinese paintings can go beyond traditional imagery. 

Deng hopes to inherit and promote the Chinese language and art in Australia. "Overseas Chinese in Australia attach great importance to their children's education, especially learning the Chinese language," Deng says. 

Prior to her retirement, Deng worked as a teacher at a training school in Australia for many years. She was responsible for teaching overseas Chinese students both the Chinese language and Chinese painting. 

Deng, who has taught Chinese painting for more than 20 years, is often invited to judge calligraphy and painting competitions. The producers of a television program in China once invited Deng to give instructions on painting skills to young participants, online, during a calligraphy and painting competition.

Sending Blessings

In 2022, Deng and Wang organized the Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Spring Festival Gala, in Australia. Many well-known calligraphers, painters and poets in Australia participated. They exhibited their works, and they created works during the gala, through which they extended New Year's greetings to those in the audience. 

The painters used their brushes to create auspicious and festive images of fish, dragons, phoenixes, pines and cranes on paper, which represented prosperity, good luck and other connotations, and which expressed the hopes and expectations of overseas Chinese for the coming year. 

Calligraphers wrote Spring Festival couplets and poets recited poetry. Viewers were able to clearly observe the artists' brushstroke techniques. The artists and viewers were immersed in the festive atmosphere of Spring Festival. 

During the most recent Spring Festival gala in February, overseas Chinese ceramic artists were invited to share the origin, development and production process of ceramics. 

"Through the galas, calligraphy and painting lovers can feel the artistic charm of Chinese calligraphy and painting. The galas have received high attention, and they have been appreciated by people from all walks of life," Deng says. 

The purpose of organizing such activities is to enhance the understanding and comprehension of traditional Chinese art among the Australians, to promote Chinese culture globally, to narrow the distance between countries, to build a bridge of people-to-people exchanges, and to increase the attractiveness of Chinese culture, Deng adds. 

She says it is her duty to inherit and promote traditional Chinese culture in Australia, and she will continue to promote the development of the association, strengthen the cooperation and exchanges between Chinese and Australian calligraphers and painters, and ensure the association remains a window for local overseas Chinese to experience Chinese culture. 

Photos from Interviewee 

Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition

(Women of China English Monthly May 2024)

Editor: Wang Shasha