Anita Yan Wong is an Asian American Women Artist best known for her expressive brush strokes and unique style of “Contemporary Traditional” paintings that defies tradition and modernity. The artist, who taught at UC Berkeley S.F. extension California in recent years, is a 4th generation Lingnan painter (which originated in southern China in the late 19th century, known for the fusion of mastering modern Chinese, Japanese and Western painting approaches.).
Wong worked as an art Professor for over 15 years at MICA, SVA and Temple University before returning to a sole focus on her art in 2015. Her works are currently featured Internationally on over 60 Traditional and Hip Cultural Blogs & Art Magazines including N.Y. Arts, ESPN, Disney Inc., Bruce Lee Family Foundation, Daily Arts Magazine, Flower Magazine and a cover story of American Lifestyle Magazine.
Perhaps a perfect painting of a cat should be like the cat herself—simple yet elegant, free but in control at all times. – Click here for her bio.
Nature is the main inspiration for the artist who equally admires works from Impressionism, Fauvism and the brush strokes found in traditional Asian paintings. With her background in creating moving imagery, Anita explores the movements and purified minimalist form of the cat with a fast moving brush in full flight experiencing a certain level of abstraction but still retaining their natural appeal.
As an artist, I’ve always been drawn to the purest and most simplest of art such as the works by Fauvism leading artist Henry Matisse and the bold expressive brush strokes of Asian painters.
For a while, I felt lost as a traditional artist living in the contemporary age. However, one day, while praying and meditating on what to paint, something really bizarre happened – A black cat came to my front door and decided to follow me every day for a walk. I immediately was captivated by his dynamic movement, form and perfection, he looks like a moving ink painting to me. Three years ago, I adopted my cat “Pandora” and have been painting cats since then.
Cat to me is a simple, elegant and abstract creature, I wanted to fully express her characters, yet minimize the strokes when creating these minimalist cat art – a purified expressive form of the cat.
Link to more cat paintings: https://www.anitayanwong.com/2699731777200273268135987-3426934899-ndash-minimalist-kittens.html
