Mansheng Wang was born in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China in 1962. Following graduation in 1985 from the Chinese Department of Shanghai’s Fudan University, where he majored in classical literature, he worked for over a decade as an editor, director and producer at China Central Television in Beijing. 

He has devoted himself full time to painting, calligraphy and writing since his move to New York in 1996. Influenced by his training and interest in the Chinese classics, his paintings, poetry and essays often reflect on the literature, landscapes and images of China’s past as they relate to the present. 

Wang’s calligraphy and paintings have been shown worldwide, including in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Europe and the United States. 

His work is held in private and public collections, the latter including the Baltimore Museum of Art; Brooklyn Museum; Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Princeton University Art Museum; Shanxi Museum; and Yale University Art Gallery. 

His inspiration is as much from classical Chinese literature than the contemplation of nature. The themes he appreciates come from traditional painting but this does not prevent him looking for new technical solutions such as the use of reed feathers, the use of monotype or walnut stain.

It is indeed from classical themes such as mountain landscapes, the representation of rocks, trees and other plants that he proposes a modern, personal vision of painting.