Wilson Shieh received a B.A. degree (fine arts major) and a M.F.A. degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1994 and 2001 respectively. He set up his studio in Fotan industrial district of Hong Kong in 2008. He started his artistic practice in Chinese gong-bi (meticulous fine-line) style figure painting, with contents of sexuality, role play, costume play and cultural symbols presented in a contemporary approach. One of the iconic series is the “Architecture dresses” in which ladies dress up in costumes symbolize skyscrapers in modern big cities. In recent years, he expands his art form in other media such as printmaking, acrylic painting, drawing and collage, transforming his painting practice into live projects and installation.
Read MoreWilson Shieh's Music Families springs to life in a symphony of vibrant colours in his portrayals of human figures as delicate instruments of music. This body of work revives Ukiyo-e practice in Shieh's contemporary subject matter. Ukiyo-e’s international appeal is not new; it was a source of inspiration for many Impressionist and Post Impressionist painters, notably Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Édouard Manet. They were especially drawn to the compositional freedom of placing the subject off-centre, simplicity of line-work and flat graphic areas of strong colours. Vincent van Gogh's The Bridge in the Rain (1887) was painted after Utagawa Hiroshige, a virtuoso example of the 19th century Master printmaker work, which van Gogh had in his collection.
Shieh paints in 17th century Ming dynasty Gongbi style, a technique of super fine and controlled brushstrokes acquired while studying Masters of Fine Art at the Chinese University of Hong Kong that later applied to his contemporary themes. Ukiyo-e historical associations with sensuality underline Shieh's carefully arranged bare figures resembling musical instruments. The Music Families series conveys the physical and spiritual process of music making. The characters quirky acts - men contorting into lutes, violins, double basses and harps, women plucking serenely at delicate musical strings, and children in whimsical hosiery playing mini cymbals and drums; illicit curiosity and mesmerize like musical oeuvres.
