Chen Kong Fang (Tung Cheng, China 1931 - São Paulo SP 2012)
Chen Kong Fang was a painter, draftsman, engraver and teacher. He studied Sumiê and watercolor in China in 1945. In 1951, he moved to São Paulo with his family, becoming Brazilian in 1961. Between 1954 and 1956, he studied painting with Yoshiya Takaoka (1909-1978) in the capital of São Paulo. He held his first solo exhibition in 1959, at the Clube dos Artistas Plásticos de São Paulo. Between 1965 and 1967, he explored the abstractionist line, but later abandoned this aspect, returning to figurativeism.
In 1972, he began teaching at the Faculty of Fine Arts in São Paulo. In 1977, he traveled to North America, Europe and Asia, where he continued to develop his artistic work. In 1981, the biographical short film O Caminho de Fang was produced in São Paulo. In 1985, he visited China at the invitation of the Chinese government, where he met several places of artistic interest.
Criticism
"After the learning period (with Takaoka), Fang began the search for his own artistic path. drawing, and for a long time, he delighted in the subject of the horses in motion, which he learned from his master. Lying dramatically on the sidewalks of the streets, slums, old houses, half abandoned and ruined, animals in strange situations are their favorite subjects. Perhaps an echo of the dramatic sufferings of the war, which suffered at such a young age in the homeland of birth. Expressionists, however, still without the freedom of expressive and expressionist deformations, he remains, for the time being, within the limits of naturalism (...) as 'intermezzo' in his development, the attempt of abstractionism came in. Pressured by the fashion of the abstract painting that dominated the country, he tried, between 1965 and 1967, to become abstract. It was years of suffering. Abstractionism was not in his blood. (...) The wave of the new figuration that invaded the country freed him from these years of suffering. He returned to his figurative and favorite themes: houses, plants, still lifes, landscapes, children's toys, etc. (...) He resumed his old favorite figurative themes (before abstract attempts) and gradually and progressively developed what we call oriental expressionism (...)".
Theon Spanudis
COHN, Glaucia S. (org.); Cohn, J. Peter (org.). Fang. São Paulo: Dan Galeria, 1984. 144p. Il.P.B. Color.
Individual exhibitions
1959 - São Paulo SP - First individual, at the Clube dos Artistas Plústicos de São Paulo
1961 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at Galeria Ambiente
1962 - Salvador BA - Individual, at the Public Library of Salvador
1978 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Individual, at the Cosme Velho Gallery
1978 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at Galeria Academus
1981 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at Dan Galeria
1985 - Schleswing (Germany) - Individual, at the F. Konning Art Gallery
1990 - Lugana (United States) - Intividual, at The International Museum of 20th Century Arts
1993 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at Dan Galeria
1994 - Americana SP - Individual, at Mac de Americana
2005 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the Blue Life Cultural
Collective exhibitions
1957 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 6th National Salon of Modern Art 
1960 - São Paulo SP - 25th Paulista Salon of Fine Arts, at the Prestes Maia Gallery
1961 - São Paulo SP - 26th Paulista Salon of Fine Arts
1962 - São Paulo SP - 27th Paulista Salão de Belas Artes
1964 - Brasília DF - Federal District Modern Art Salon
1965 - São Paulo SP - 14th Salon Paulista de Arte Moderna, at Galeria Prestes Maia
1966 - São Paulo SP - 15th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art, at the Prestes Maia Gallery
1967 - São Paulo SP - 32nd São Paulo Salão de Fine Arts
1968 - São Paulo SP - 12th Salon of the Seibi Group of Plastic Artists, at the Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture and Social Assistance
1968 - Piracicaba SP - Piracicaba Fine Arts Salon
1968 - Santo André SP - Salão de Contemporary Art of Santo André, at the Municipal Palace
1969 - São Paulo SP - 2nd Salão de Pastora Paulista
1969 - São Paulo SP - 13th Salon of the Seibi Group of Plastic Artists - Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture and Social Assistance
1969 - São Paulo SP - 1st Paulista Salon of Contemporary Art, at the São Paulo Museum of Art
1976 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at the São Paulo Museum of Art
1978 - São Paulo SP - Constructivist and figuratives of the collection Theon Spanudis, at Centor de Artes Porto Seguro
1978 - Penápolis SP - 3rd Northwest Plastic Arts Hall, at the Penápolis Educational Foundation
1979 - São Paulo SP - Theon Spanudis Collection, at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo
1979 - São Paulo SP - Exhibition of Fine Arts Brazil - Japan
1979 - São Paulo SP - 11th Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, at the Museum of Modern Art
1979 - Atami Japan - 4th Exhibition of Fine Arts Brazil - Japan
1981 - São Paulo SP - Transcendent Art, at the Museum of Modern Art
1984 - Curitiba PR - Simões de Assis Art Gallery : Inaugural Exhibition, Simões de Assis Art Gallery
1985 - São Paulo SP - 100 Obras Itaú, at the São Paulo Museum of Art
1985 - São Paulo SP - The mothers and the flower in the vision of 33 painters, at Ranulpho Gallery of Art
1985 - Penápolis SP - 6th Northwest Plastic Arts Salon, at the Educational Foundation of Penápolis
1986 - São Paulo SP - Antonio Maia, Fang, Inos Corradin, Rapoport and Wakabayashi, at Ranulpho Art Gallery
1987 - São Paulo SP - 18 Contemporaries, at Dan Galeria
1987 - São Paulo SP - 20th Contemporary Art Exhibition, at Chapel Art Show
1987 - São Paulo SP - Primavera, at Liberdade Garô Galeria de Arte
1988 - São Paulo SP - 15 years of Fine Arts Exhibition Brazil - Japan, at the Mokiti Okada M.O.A Foundation
1988 - São Paulo SP - 21st Chapel Art Show, at Chapel Art Show
1988 - São Paulo SP - Five Brazilian Art Expressions, at the Cultural Space of Banco Central do Brasil
1989 - São Paulo SP - 22nd Chapel Art Show
1989 - São Paulo SP - Thirty-three ways to see the world, at Ranulpho Art Gallery
1990 - São Paulo SP - Fruits, flowers and colors, at Ranulpho Art Gallery
1990 - São Paulo SP - Painted Cats, AN Ranulpho Art Gallery
1990 - São Paulo SP - 6th Brazilian Art Salon, Mokiti Okada M.O.A Foundation
1991 - São Paulo SP - Music in painting, at Ranulpho Art Gallery
1991 - São Paulo SP - Chico e os Bichos, at Ranulpho Art Gallery
1991 - São Paulo SP - 20th Bunkyo Hall, at the Brazilian Society of Japanese Culture and Social Assistance
1992 - São Paulo SP - 7th Brazilian Art Salon, at the Mokiti Okada Foundation M.O.A
1993 - São Paulo SP - Works for illustration of the literary supplement: 1956 - 1967, at the Museum of Modern Art
1994 - São Paulo SP - Flags: 60 artists honor the 60th anniversary of USP, at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo
1995 - São Paulo SP - Brazil-Japan, at the Mokiti Okada Foundation M.O.A.
1995 - Curitiba PR - Collective, at Waldir Assis Art Galery
1995 - Nigata Japan - Exhibition of contemporary Japanese-Brazilian painters, at The Niigata Prefectual Museum of Modern Art
1995 - Tokushima Japan - Exhibition of contemporary Japanese-Brazilian painters, at the Tokushima Cultural Center
1996 - São Paulo SP - Bandeiras, at the SESI Art Gallery
1996 - São Paulo SP - Exhibition of contemporary Japanese-Brazilian painters, São Paulo Museum of Art
1996 - São Paulo SP - Exhibition of the collection, at the Sudameris Galleria
1996 - Gifu Japan - Exhibition of Contemporary Japanese-Brazilian Painters, at The Museum of Fine Art Gigu
1996 - Tokyo Japan - Exhibition of contemporary Japanese-Brazilian painters, at Azabu Art Museum
1997 - São Paulo SP - Hélio Siqueira and Fang, at the Banespa Museum
1997 - Jacareí SP - Exhibition of Contemporary Japanese-Brazilian Painters, at the Santa Helena Arts Workshop
1998 - São Paulo SP - Impressions: The Art of Brazilian Engraving, at the Banespa Paulista Cultural Space
2004 - São Paulo SP - 22nd Exhibition of Contemporary Artists, at Esporte Clube Sírio
2004 - São Paulo SP - Work in process. Look impertinent, at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo
2006 - São Paulo SP - 2nd Golf in Art, at the Cultural Blue Life
2007 - Americana SP - ...Limits..., at the Casa da Cultural by Hermann Müller
2009 - São Paulo SP - 40th Chapel Art Show, at Maria Imaculada School - Chapel School
2010 - São Paulo SP - 41st Chapel Art Show, at Maria Imaculada School - Chapel School
Source: Itaú Cultural
