The National Portrait Gallery would like to thank Jiawei Shen for his kind assistance with this project. All images courtesy of the artist.
Interview with Jiawei Shen. Video length: 2 minutes
Video transcript
Jiawei Shen: I was born in the Year of the Rat, but otherwise I’m just a lucky rat. Australia and the kangaroo in Chinese, we call the kangaroo is a big rat with a pocket. So I say that maybe my newness of life maybe is the kangaroo.
I already become Australian citizen in Canberra since 1998, but otherwise I had 40 years life experience in China, so we are half-half. I become like this. Very special meaning. Both equal.
From the window straight away we can see the Opera House. Princess Mary is Australian and married with a Danish prince, and they’ve come to Denmark. The Opera House is designed by a Danish architect, so this is just a two cultural with come here, with come there. But I think this is a very good symbol.
We have for three hours just to know this time I can only do some I shot many photographs. Then I did for about a half hour, do a sketch, head study. And the dress, the colour, and even the hairstyle, I really love that. Such a beautiful lady.
Portrait of HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, 2005 Jiawei Shen. © Commonwealth of Australia.
Related information
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Magazine article by Mette Skougaard and Thomas Lyngby, 2018Mette Skougaard and Thomas Lyngby bring eloquent context to Ralph Heimans’ portraits of Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.
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Magazine article by Dr Sarah Engledow, 2007A new painting by Jiawei Shen captures the vision and resolve of the Gallery's founder, L. Gordon Darling AC CMG.
