Xiao Fan Wang (Toronto, ON)
Not Sweet, 2024. Oil and acrylic on canvas. 24 x 18”.
Bio
Xiao Fan Wang (b. 1993, China) is an emerging voice in contemporary painting based on Toronto, specializing in oil and acrylic mediums. Drawing from a largely self-taught background, she crafts portraits that forge deep connections with viewers through thoughtful reflection on societal themes, often woven with layers of allegory and symbolism.
Her work, characterized by its emotional depth and introspective quality, has been showcased in numerous juried and group exhibitions across the Greater Toronto Area.
Artist Statement
This work is based on a Chinese idiom, which roughly translates to “a forcefully plucked melon is not sweet” – often used as a warning that forced intimacy is less enjoyable. In traditional East Asian culture, women are expected to be sweet and obedient. Much like the melons laying in the fields, society regards them without respect for their individuality and personal pursuits, and at the “right time,” they are to be plucked, enjoyed and propagated. At a time where East Asian women are pushing back against traditional concepts of womanhood, this painting depicts the melancholy of a girl laying in a field of melons, knowing how difficult it is to break free of the cultural ideals she is bound by.