Bridging Time and Emotion: Circle Foundation for the Arts
The Art of Wanning Liao December 2024

Born in 1973 in China and currently residing in Canada, Wanning Liao is an accomplished artist whose work merges the timeless elegance of tradition with contemporary narratives. A graduate with a Master of Fine Arts from the Oil Painting Department of the Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts, her training laid the foundation for her masterful technique and conceptual depth. Liao is also a member of the Portrait Painting Association of the United States, further cementing her international artistic presence.

Liao's oeuvre is defined by its thematic duality: one aspect delves into artistic expressions inspired by antiques, while the other explores relational dynamics, particularly between parent and child. Her paintings seamlessly combine oil and mixed media to create works rich in texture and layered with meaning. Achievements such as the Silver Prize in the 2023 and 2024 INNOART PRIZE International Fine Arts Competitions and the Outstanding Contribution to Culture and Art Award from the New York City Council highlight her artistic merit.

Notable exhibitions, including her participation in the 161st International Art Sand Exhibition in Paris and the Seventh Annual International Exhibition of Women Artists in the United States, refect her artistic versatility and global reach. Liao's ability to navigate historical themes and personal storytelling ensures her work remains both culturally relevant and emotionally compelling.

Her recent works, “Back to Canaan 1"and “Back to Canaan 2,"encapsulate her ability to convey intimate narratives through intricate compositions. These pieces evoke a deep sense of nostalgia and longing, depicting children with an ethereal delicacy that draws viewers into their world. By intertwining Back to Canaan 1, 2024 these tender portraits with elements of antiquity and textured layers, Liao creates a dialogue between Canvas oil painting, mixed media paper, 60 × 60 cm past and present.

The juxtaposition of soft textures and precise details evokes the sensibilities of classical portraiture while anchoring the works in contemporary storytelling. Her nods to historical aesthetics, coupled with a profound emotional resonance, recall the narrative depth of artists like Mary Cassatt and Back to Canaan 2, 2024 Andrew Wyeth, while her use of mixed media introduces a tactile, modern dimension that amplifies the Canvas oil painting, mixed media paper, 60 × 60 cm emotional weight of her themes.

What sets Liao apart is her remarkable ability to synthesize personal history and universal themes. Her art bridges cultures and eras, offering viewers a deeply personal yet widely relatable lens through which to interpret her work. Through her evocative and technically brilliant creations, Liao invites us to reflect on the intersections of memory, identity, and the human condition, securing her place as one of the most compelling contemporary voices in figurative painting.
Art Review by Circle Foundation for the Arts

2001-2010: Art Director of Love, a large comprehensive magazine in China, planning art columns and special reports.
2007-2010: Signed Hong Kong, China Baqu Tang Contemporary Art Museum, participated in the planning and exhibition planning work.
In 2014, he founded "Wan Ning Art" art school, teaching adult and children's art education.
In 2023, I settled in Toronto, Canada and devoted myself to painting.
2.Art creation and exhibition In 2019, he independently completed the oil portrait of 72 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which was collected by Yan 'an Museum.
2017: Solo exhibition "Condensation: Portraits and Poems" at Flushing Library, New York.
In 2015, I held a personal oil portrait exhibition "A Hundred Faces of All Creatures" in Xi 'an Old Steel Plant Creative Industrial Park.
In 2023, his work "Daydream" was selected for the International Art Sand Exhibition in Paris, France.
In 2024, the oil painting "Cloud Shoulder" won the Silver Award of INNOART PRIZE International Art Competition; "Women's Life" was selected for the 7th Annual International Exhibition of Women Artists in the United States.

Exhibition and award experience
In 2023, "Daydream" won the Silver Award of INNOART PRIZE International Art Competition. "Men's Mental Exhaustion" was selected for the International Art Sand Exhibition in Paris, France.
In 2024, "Cloud Shoulder" won the Silver Award of INNOART PRIZE International Art Competition; "Women's Life" won the Honorary Award of the 7th Annual International Exhibition of Female Artists in Fusion Art in the United States.
"Chinese Coffee Table" won the 2025 Special Art Award from the French Circle of Arts Foundation.
Return to Canaan 2, The Eye of the Future, Dad's Baby, Four-Panel Antique and Chinese Shadow Play were selected for the final of the Tajik International Competition in Spain.
"Chinese Coffee Table 2" won the grand prize in the challenge of "International Artist" magazine in the United States.
2025 "City Corners" won an honorary award at the LightsPace Urban Landscape Art Exhibition; "The Eye of the Future" was on the cover of Italy's New Tuscany magazine.
The Three-part painting "China's Countryside" was selected for the 2025 New England Art Club exhibition.
Homecoming Daughter, Collage Drawing, Selected for 2025 London Biennial

https://societyofcanadianartists.com/
https://www.artistonish.com/p/may2025.html
https://www.itsliquid.com/interview-liao-wan-ning.html
https://medium.com/
https://www.contemporaryartcuratormagazine.com/