Paintings

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Biography

Oil paintings by the established Chinese artist Mao Wen Biao pull apowerful visual punch. Such is the case that the impact of Mao's incredibly bold, contemporary and dynamic paintings leaves many would-be collectors of his work hooked.

Horseracing and sporting subjects, flowers and figurative paintings all feature in Mao's oeuvre. He is adept at tackling an incredibly broad range of subject matter and obviously delights in this variety. Horses and racing are amongst Mao's favourite subjects. Characterized by a very strong and varied palette, as well as a terrific sense of movement, his horseracing paintings are unique. They create an exceptional and striking impact. This is emphasized by the scale of Mao's canvases which are predominantly large, as well as the bold brushstrokes he favours. He employs colour skillfully, producing dramatic contrasts between light and dark tones. So too he analyzes the race sequentially - he looks at how each horse moves during the race and overlaps the forms of the galloping horses on the canvas so that they appear to almost 'melt' into one another, thus emphasizing the impressions of movement and speed.

The vibrancy of Mao's racing paintings is also tangible in his treatment of flowers. Again these paintings are full of colour and life. Irises and tulips are awash with vivid hues; clouds of golden daffodils appear to 'sing' on the canvas.

Born in Shanghai in 1950, Mao lived and studied in Beijing before moving to England where he trained at the Royal College of Art. Today, his home in Kent and his London studio are his permanent bases, but he is firmly attached to his family roots and returns to China regularly. He has worked extensively throughout his career and has exhibited successfully on many occasions in China and the UK, as well as receiving a significant number of international awards and commissions.

Amongst the most remarkable of Mao's undertakings are his mural commissions. These are monumental paintings in terms of scale and detail and have won him high praise. The largest of these is a panoramic mural, which he completed in the mid 1980's and which measures an astounding 60 feet high by 180 feet long. Commissioned by the Chinese Government it commemorates the Battle of Macpolo Bridge (1937) between the Chinese and Japanese and depicts over 2000 fighting soldiers.

Three other magnificent murals by Mao can be found here in London. The first, a large mural in Holland Park was highly commended by Sir Hugh Casson, former President of the Royal Academy of Arts, who upon seeing it described it as "…a spectacular achievement – appropriate to its setting, very skillfully painted and deserving the praise with which it has been greeted". The second, a significant mural commission from the RAC was to mark their Centenary year (1897 – 1997) and can be found in their Pall Mall Clubhouse. Most recently Mao was approached by the Ritz and asked to produce a large mural consisting of three panels to run up the magnificent staircase of their newly acquired and very opulent William Kent wing. These vast panels have been painted by Mao in tremendous detail and are peopled with eighteenth century characters, to fit alongside the rest of the interior decoration.

The skill and versatility of this highly talented artist makes this, Mao's second one-man exhibition at The Osborne Studio Gallery, a real pleasure to host. We fully expect him to "wow" us once again!

Exhibitions

The State Exhibition of China
Royal College of Art, London
Cooling Gallery, London
Mall Galleries, London
Museum of London
Delfina Studios
Christopher Hull Gallery, London
Piccadilly Gallery, London
Orchard Gallery, Singapore
The Osborne Studio Gallery, London