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“ Painting is neither a profession, nor a hobby,
but the growth of an artist’s mind.
Thanks to painting, I continue to discover myself. ”
— Fu Yi-Yao
Fu Yi-Yao is the most beloved daughter of the late Grand Master artist Fu Bao-Shi. Since young, she has been on close terms with cultural and artistic heavyweights such as Zhang Da-Qian, Guo Mo-Ruo, Lin San-Zhi, and Lin Feng-Mian. In 1979, in the wake of Chinese economic reform, she became the first student approved by then Chinese leader Deng Xiao-Ping to study in Japan on a government scholarship. She studied under Ikuo Hirayama Hideo Shioide and received guidance from Sanu Aoyama. She enjoys prestige amongst Japanese artists and around the world, and has held exhibitions in the United Nations. She is the only Chinese artist to have received the prestigious “Ringa Art Encouragement Prize” in Japan. Recently, she also received “China Light — the Dissemination of Chinese Culture Person of the Year Award”. Upon invitation, she has also given many televised lectures for the Japanese TV broadcaster NHK. NHK had also made a popular documentary of the entire production process of the historical narrative painting “Buddhism to the East”. Among her many books are I’ve Had Good Teachers, My Father Fu Bao-Shi, My Japanese Years, The Collected Paintings of Fu Yi-Yao, The Twelve Colorful Japanese Festivals, and The Collected Ink-Wash Paintings of Fu Yi-Yao.
Fu Yi-Yao’s principal painting genres are the temple mural, the Japanese festivity painting, the ‘poetic’ painting, and the traditional landscape painting. Her artworks are housed in many Japanese shrines, temples and other sacred places, such as World Heritage site, Enryaku-ji Temple at Mt. Hiei; Sanjusangendo, Kyoto; Sanzen-in Temple, Kyoto; Enman-ji Temple, Yokohama; Ryuto-in Temple, Nagano Prefecture, etc. Notable works include “The Spread of Buddhism to the East”, “Enryaku-ji Temple at Mt. Hiei”, “Guoqing Temple at Mt. Tian-Tai”, “Four Seasons in Sanzen-in Temple”, “The Onbashira at the Suwa Grand Shrine”, and “Zhang Qian’s Diplomatic Mission to the Western Regions”. Her fondness for creating sizable paintings results in her grand, majestic and passionate style; and yet possesses subtlety, control and philosophical wisdom at the same time. We are delighted to present to you an outstanding ink-wash painting artist of both sublimity and delicacy, both unrestrained spirit and inward modesty.
Fu Yi-Yao is a contemporary artist currently based in Japan, and the daughter of prominent painter and calligrapher Fu Bao-Shi.Yet this enviable artistic lineage can be deceptive,as Fu Yi-Yao faced many struggles to find her own path in art.
However, she has remained resolute despite the difficulties along the process. As she remarks, “I know where light is when I see the sun”.This insistence to look on the bright side of life has been the consistent spirit of intrepidity on her artistic journey in life.
