northern-expressions.com

12►

About the Artist

Evelyne Zuercher Hadfield has been painting Chinese ink and water colours for over 30 years. Having left her home in Switzerland in the seventies she first moved to Taiwan and then lived for twenty years in Hong Kong. Today she calls Sydney home. She has exhibited in Hong Kong , Australia, Korea and recently in China and nowadays paints in the “Lingnan” style, as well as experimenting with contemporary styles and printmaking. Ever ready to add to her abilities she is currently working hard at improving her Chinese calligraphy skills, studying under Ms Liang Xiao Ping. She is a member of the “Australian Chinese Painting Society” (ACPS), the “Australian Oriental Calligraphy Society” (AOCS) and the “Warringah Printmaker Studio”.

The Lingnan style of Chinese painting grew up in the south of China in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Although still distinctively Chinese, Lingnan represented a departure from the traditional style and incorporated influences from Western and Japanese painting. The founding of the Lingnan style was attributed to Gao Jianfu. Gao studied Nanga painting in Japan and, inspired by western watercolour and impressionist paintings, incorporated Japanese sumie and western techniques with traditional Chinese brush painting techniques to form a new style that profoundly changed the history of brush painting. Gao and his contemporaries introduced new subjects and used realistic techniques to depict birds and animals. Light effects, shading and perspective were also emphasised, however traditional methods of execution of brush strokes were retained. Lingnan painting is characterised by the use of bright colours and bold brush strokes to give life-like qualities and movement to the painting.

Evelyne’s artists statement is given in form of a commentary by ANDREW LO, President of the “Australian Chinese Painting Society”

As one of the world’s oldest art form, with over three thousand years of continuous development, Chinese brush painting maintains an enduring global and contemporary appeal to practitioners and collectors. Virtuosity, the nuances of the brush, can only be attained by a life long commitment. Evelyne Zuercher Hadfield’s passionate love for the way of the Chinese brush began when she left Switzerland 30 years ago to commence her engagement with the challenging art world of the Orient. During her 6 years stay in Taipei, Taiwan and her 20 years in Hong Kong, Evelyne took brush painting lessons from different teachers. She was particularly drawn to the contemporary works of the Lingnan School artists, who have created a refreshingly new style by incorporating into Chinese brush painting western aesthetics, such as the use of vibrant colours and perspectives and applying these to the traditional genre of bird and flower paintings. The development of Evelyne’s artworks follow the way of the Chinese brush: delineating forms with lines, dots and surface treatment on xuan paper. Evelyne has successfully explored and utilized the unique properties of the Chinese brush painter’s tool box. By incorporating modern materials such as water soluble inks and synthetic colourants into her tool box, Evelyne has evolved a contemporary style of her own. Her works show a combination of strong brush strokes, vibrant colours and surface treatment that exploits the absorbent and diffusive nature of the xuan paper. Her recent involvement with Chinese calligraphic art has added a new dimension to her works.

EXHIBITIONS
upcoming:
Arcadian Artists Open Studio Weekend, 13-14 Nov 2010

2010
- Royal Easter Show, Sydney
- Swiss+Oz 2010 @ Bondi Pavilion, Bondi
2009
- Arcadian Artists Open Studio Weekend
- Oriental Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition CCC, Chatswood
- Exhibition at Marie-France Boutique Hair Salon and Art Gallery
- NE Exhibition @ Parliament Hause, Sydney
- SOLO Exhibition @ Marie-France Boutique Hair Salon and Art Gallery
2008
- Arcadian Artists Open Studio Weekend
- Australian Chinese Painting Society, CCC Chatswood
- Oriental Calligraphy Society, CCC Chatswood
- swiss+oz art expo, Gallery Bondi Pavilion
2007
- NE Annual Christmas Show
- Annual Exhibition Warringah Printmakers
- Arcadian Artists Open Studio Weekend
- SOLO exhibition at the “IL DOLCE VITA” Café,Thornleigh
- Oriental Calligraphy Exhibition, CCC Chatswood
- Warringah Art Exhibition – “Inside the Square” Balmain Watch House
2006
- NE Annual Christmas Show
- Arcadian Artists Open Studio Weekend
- Print Exhibition, Guangzhou, China
- Oriental Calligraphy Exhibition, CCC Chatswood
- Dale Thomas Gallery, Artarmon
2005
- NE Annual Christmas Show
- Annual Exhibition Warringah Printmakers
- Artspace Liverpool Hospital
- Impressions on Paper Gallery, Canberra
- Arcadian Artists Open Studio Weekend
- The Second Wave, Manly
2004
- International Art Fair, Guangzhou, China
- Arcadian Artists Open Studio Weekend
- Artspace, G/F Liverpool Hospital
- Oriental Calligraphy Society – ‘Tribute to the Brush’, Parliament House, Sydney www.chinesebrushart.com
- SOLO Exhibition: Foyer “Glen Street Theater”, Belrose
- ‘Expressions Cinematique’, Alliance FranÇaise
- Oriental Calligraphy Society, Chinese Cultural Centre Chatswood
2003- Manly Arts Festival, SPLASH @ “Basespace”, Brookvale
- Australian Chinese Painting Society, CCC Chatswood
- Oriental Calligraphy Society, CCC Chatswood
- Oriental Calligraphy Society in Seoul, Korea
- swiss+oz Art Expo, Gallery Bondi Pavilion
- Arcadian Artists Open Studio Weekend
2002
- “Red-Green-Red” , The 4th Floor Gallery, Surry Hill