Shi Guoliang: Realist Master of Chinese Figure Painting

Shi Guoliang (Buddhist name Shi Huichan) is one of the most celebrated realist figure painters in contemporary China. Born in 1956, he graduated in 1980 from the graduate class of traditional Chinese painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and by the age of 29 had become a first-class painter at the Beijing Academy of Painting—at the time the youngest full professor in the Chinese art world. He is a member of the China Artists Association and a visiting professor at both the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Capital Normal University.

His work *Carving the Sutras* won the UNESCO Grand Prize at the 23rd Monte Carlo International Modern Art Grand Prix—often called the “Oscar of the art world”—and was commended by China’s Ministry of Culture. With solid draftsmanship and rich, heavy brushwork, Shi’s paintings capture contemporary life in a vividly realistic manner. He is regarded as a leading representative of the realist school of Chinese figure painting.