Zheng Liu was a professional artist in Beijing, China and participated in exhibitions in many Asian, European and South American countries. Immigrated to Australia in 2016 and now is a professional artist in Brisbane.

An artist sees the world in a different way from the ordinary people. While the latter tend to focus on the plot and logic, the former fixes his eyes more on color, light and shadow. It is normal, though not in an absolute sense. As a result, a common landscape may, through the lens of an artist, appears dynamic, attractive and mysterious.

What I admire is an aesthetics of minimalism, which is more a philosophy than an aesthetic taste. To extract what can touch our heartstring from the complex visual images and restore the world to simplicity are what I am pursuing. For painting, detailed portrait resembles a drama, bustled with activities; and simple depicting is like a single song, unfolding its charm independently.

The boundless sea and vast sky, in my eyes, are sending a message of freedom. Proceeding from this enlightenment, what an artist pursues is not to imitate what he has seen, but to recreate a landscape with his inspiration. That is why all his attention is directed to his works. The pleasure of imitation of the image is meaningless for him now, and only the aesthetic enjoyment of applying his genius can satisfy him. In this stage, an artist has transcended the representation and reached the depth of spirit. The so-called drawing nature consists in nowhere but the subtle materialization of an artist’s concepts and ideas. A free command and application of his genius is what helps an artist enjoy more freedom than a photographer.

A poetic mood oriented from “unpredictable”, supramundane and spiritual.

The beauty of music lies in its flowing and intangible nature. To musicalize a painting, an abstract beauty should be refined from the representation. As melody and rhythm constitute the beauty of music, the ingenious combination of light and color adds a musical charm to a painting.

A painting appeals to me is not in the style of mountain-shaking power but of ride-the-wind leisure.

Instagram: liu_zheng_art

PRIZES

2023    12 Years Old, First Prize, Harold and Agnes Richardson Drawing Prize, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

2022    Self-Portrait in the Morning, Petrie Terrace Gallery Award, the Salon des Refuses 2022, Brisbane, Australia

EXHIBITIONS

2023    Brisbane Landmarks, Landscapes and Personalities 2023, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

2023    Harold and Agnes Richardson Drawing Prize, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

2022    An Artist’s Place, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

2022    The Salon des Refuses 2022, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

2022    Queensland Figurative 2022, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

2022    The 132^nd RQAS (Royal Queensland Art Society) Brisbane Branch Members’ Annual Exhibition, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

2022    Brisbane Landmarks, Landscapes and Personalities 2022, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

2021   Art of Imagination, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

2021    The 131^st RQAS (Royal Queensland Art Society) Brisbane Branch Members’ Annual Exhibition, Petrie Terrace Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

2019    14^th Curitiba International Biennial, Curitiba, Brazil

2018    Wave-rider – Solo Exhibition of Paintings by Zheng (Leo) Liu, 798 XYZ Gallery, Beijing, China

2016    Color Symbiosis – Chinese Contemporary Artists Exchange Exhibition, National Gallery, San Jose, Costa Rica

2015    Oriental Beauty – Exhibition of Contemporary Works by Chinese Artists, Providence Cultural Center, San Diego, Chile

2014    Advance Bravely – “Horse”, Chinese Contemporary Culture and Arts Exhibition, Beijing, China

2013    WE:1994-2013—The 20^th Anniversary Collective Exhibition of the Artists in Songzhuang China, Songzhuang Fine Arts Gallery, Beijing, China

2009    Virtual + Superficies Four Artists’ Exhibition, China Space Gallery, Beijing, China

2008    Limited Distance, LDX Contemporary Art Center, Beijing, China

2008    Icon of Asia, EM arts Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

2008    2^nd China Today, Canvas International Art Gallery, Amstelveen, Holland

2007    ShContemporary 2007, Shanghai, China

2007    Urban Space-The Solo Exhibition of Zheng (Leo) Liu, M Gallery, Beijing, China

2007    Contemporary Art Show, Songzhuang Fine Arts Gallery, Beijing, China

2007    Beijing Udumbara Flower Gallery Invitation Show, Beijing Udumbara Flower Gallery, Beijing, China

2006    Beijing Soemo Fine Arts Gallery Unveiling Show, Beijing Soemo Fine Arts Gallery, Beijing, China

2006    Beijing Dongcheng District Art Center 1^st Oil-painting Show, Beijing Dongcheng District Art Center, Beijing, China

2006    Beijing Times Gallery 1^st Contemporary Art Top-pick Show, Beijing Times Gallery, Beijing, China

Mark Andrews

Born in Hobart, Tasmania (1968)

Mark studied a Bachelor of Fine Arts at University of New South Wales (UNSW), College of Fine Art (formerly City Art Institute). He also completed a Diploma of Art (Painting Prize Distinction) at Hornsby TAFE in Sydney – studying under Peter Godwin, Valerie Olsen and Bela Ivanyi (Painting, Drawing and Photography). He attended Sculpture classes at Meadowbank, Sydney and studied “Life Drawing” at the Brisbane Institute of Art in Queensland.

Mark has and continues to, travel extensively throughout the world (until Covid-19); including the United States, Canada, Africa, Europe and Asia, as well as all States and Territories of Australia – attending exhibitions of as many Art Galleries and Museums as possible. He is a Gallery enthusiast and a keen investor of Art, particularly Aboriginal and Modern Art.

An earlier exhibition held almost a decade ago, “Four Corners of Art” (jointly held in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane), virtually sold out, and he’s continued to produce several Commission works since that event. His works have also featured in several Brisbane Grammar School Art Shows, which show-cases almost 100 visual artists, and includes approximately 600 works each year, making it the largest single collection of art for sale by established Queensland artists, in Brisbane.

In 2014, Mark accepted an offer to paint a portrait of close friend, Hugh Jackman in New York, for the Archibald prize. In 2018, he painted a Portrait of Alice Williams – acknowledging her selection in the Australian Women’s Water Polo Team. Last year, Mark painted both a portrait of a prominent Queensland surgeon, Assoc Professor Dr Richard Williams, for the Archibald Prize and also painted “Bushfire Landscape” for the Wynne Prize.

After 30 years in corporate life, Mark returned to his first love, working from his new Art Studio. His 2019 solo Exhibition, “Wanderlust” (Percolator Gallery in Paddington, Brisbane), was well attended and extremely successful. The large body of works, highlighting almost 9 years, was inspired by his love of travelling.

Mark was thrilled to have several pieces purchased by Hugh for their new USA Hampton’s House – including “Hawaii Big Island”, purchased as a ‘thank you gift’ for Keala Settle, for her involvement in his World Tour, “The Man, The Music, The Show”. Mark was honoured to present this in person to Keala, in Brisbane before the final Australian Show. This hangs in her Los Angeles home.

Many commissioned works have followed, and further sales from the website (post the 2019 exhibition), continue to encourage more works. Thanks partly to lockdowns and travel restrictions, Mark used this time to create in excess of 60 new pieces for an upcoming exhibition. In May 2021, he will be displaying these works and others at the Royal Queensland Art Society (Brisbane Branch)’s Petrie Terrace Gallery, for his new “Expressive Therapy” Exhibition.

Marks’ works are represented in corporate and private collections throughout Australia, the UK, USA, Indonesia and Japan.

Minjia ‘Johnny’ Huang

Johnny Huang gained his bachelor of fine arts in Shanghai in 1982. He has been in many art exhibitions throughout Shanghai since then.

Since he came to Australia, Johnny participated in several fine arts exhibitions in Sydney and Adelaide. In 1995, he studied post graduate of visual arts and education in Adelaide University.

He worked as a special artist for T. Bach Art’s gallery in Las Vegas throughout the year 2000.

In 2003, he held art exhibition in Tokyo.

These years, Johnny has travelled between Australia and China to adventure and explore his own artistic type and style.