An Interview With Liang Wang
Liang Wang, a Vancouver-based painter, is a product of a global upbringing. Born in Taiwan and raised in Mainland China, he later relocated to Australia and Canada for his education. His work, deeply rooted in nostalgia, captures the everyday essence of Taiwan through a cinematic lens.
Can you tell us a little bit about you?
Hi, my name is Liang Wang. I was born in Taiwan in 1992, but I’ve lived in several places throughout my life. My family has run a manufacturing business in Guangdong, China, since the early 1990s, so I grew up in China and completed my elementary and junior high school education there. However, my brother and I would spend our summer and winter vacations in Taiwan with our relatives and cousins. In 2007, I moved to Australia for my high school education as an international student, and I initially thought I’d finish high school and university there. Then, in 2009, my family decided to emigrate to Canada, and I’ve lived here since. I completed high school in Surrey, BC. After graduating, I began studying Fine Arts at the University of Alberta in Edmonton in 2011, though I left in 2015. Ultimately, I earned my BFA from OCAD University in Toronto in 2022 after a few gap years.
Can you describe your artistic process and how has your practice evolved since you began painting?
I usually draw inspiration from my surroundings. When I move to a new city or visit a new place, I like to wander through alleyways or walk through residential areas because I’m always interested in how people live and how lifestyles vary across countries and cities. For example, shops in Canada usually close earlier at night than those in Taiwan. When I first moved to Canada, I found it interesting that shops often leave their lights on at night, both to promote their business and for security purposes. Canadians also tend to cook at home more, while Taiwanese people order takeout more often since cooking at home isn’t significantly cheaper. This is one reason why night markets are so common in Taiwan and other parts of Asia. I generally use references when I paint and prefer to take my own reference photos, except for commissioned projects. I believe using my own photos makes the painting more sentimental, as I was present when the photo was taken. Sometimes, when I begin a painting, I give it an unconventional underpainting in colors like magenta, luminous pink, cadmium yellow, cobalt blue, or another hue. This choice often sets the overall mood for the piece. Whenever I’m working on a large oil painting, I usually make a few small color studies using gouache. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with coloured pencils for these studies, as they sometimes create unexpected marks and textures compared to gouache. These are new elements I’d like to bring into my oil paintings.
How do you aim to capture the Taiwanese experience in your art?
When I was living in Taiwan during the pandemic in 2021, I had a chance to chat with another young Taiwanese artist named Yanwei. He was curious as to why I wanted to paint Taiwanese urban landscapes when almost none of the young Taiwanese artists were painting Taiwan. I told him that, because I’d never really lived in Taiwan before, I always wondered how different my life would have been if I’d attended school there during my youth. When I was in Taiwan in 2020 and 2021, I tried to experience what it might have felt like to grow up there. I visited places and met people, which inspired my solo exhibition Never Left, held at Arcade Art Gallery in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 2021. Yanwei described Taiwan as a box of crayons: the colors I saw might differ from those seen by him and other Taiwan-based artists. That’s why he found my Taiwanese series refreshing. Although none of us can see Taiwan in its entirety, I was glad to help him notice colors he hadn’t seen before. I aim to capture a Taiwan that feels true and authentic to me, while also reflecting my unique perspective shaped by my backgrounds.
What challenges do you face in bridging the gap between your cultural backgrounds?
The main challenge of growing up in different cultures is that it’s difficult to fully understand any single one of them. To bridge the gap, I need to constantly do research to deepen my understanding of each of my cultural backgrounds.
Are there any specific cultural traditions or customs that you particularly want to highlight in your work?
The tradition of burning incense sticks and joss papers to honor and connect with our ancestors, as well as using Moon blocks (jiaobei) to "communicate" with them during festivals, has always fascinated me. Whenever I flew back to Taiwan, my parents or aunt would always ask me to burn incense sticks to greet my grandma and grandpa, letting them know I had returned. In my painting "Encounter of Two Realms," you can see a joss paper burner in front of a storefront, symbolizing the merging of the physical and spiritual worlds. These practices are deeply rooted in my upbringing, and I am still exploring ways to incorporate these meaningful rituals into my paintings.
What inspired you to explore the theme of nostalgia in your work?
While my work often focuses on urban landscapes, I believe the influence of Japanese comics and animation has played a significant role in my exploration of nostalgia. As a child, I read a lot of manga, and my father shared his appreciation for Hayao Miyazaki’s films with me. He introduced me to Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke, and watching Studio Ghibli movies together became a cherished family tradition. I think these memories have subtly shaped the mood and colour choices in my paintings.
Did you always know you wanted to be an artist, or did your passion develop over time?
During my senior years in high school, when I had to decide on a major, I was debating whether to study carpentry or fine arts. I was actually very close to choosing carpentry over fine arts because I took woodworking classes during my high school years in both Brisbane, Australia, and Vancouver, Canada, and I was quite good at it. At the end of my grade 12 woodworking class, I used my last two weeks to learn wood carving from my instructor, as I was interested in it. I carved a wooden fist, which actually earned me a small scholarship to study carpentry at a local college. However, I ultimately chose fine arts because I wanted to experience another city rather than stay in Vancouver. So, I moved to Edmonton for university in 2011, then to Toronto in 2016, and eventually returned to Vancouver in 2022. Looking back at my childhood, I think I always wanted to become an artist. It’s just that when I was younger, I didn’t realize being an artist was a career option. I was never really taught art history in elementary or even high school, but I was always drawing. I used to draw on bedroom walls when I was around 5 or 6, and I loved spending hours drawing mazes in my sketchbooks for myself to solve. Thinking about it now, I’m actually amazed at how focused and occupied I was when creating those mazes and patterns. Interestingly, I never drew on my textbooks, as some kids do. It was always on paper or in a sketchbook. I also loved drawing manga characters in junior high school, and once, I even snuck a drawing into the desk drawer of a girl I liked! However, I think the exact moment I realized I wanted to become an artist was when I first saw photos of artists in their studios. I thought to myself that one day, I would have my own studio too. Sometimes, I’ll have a great time creating paintings there, and sometimes, I’ll struggle to get a painting just right. Whatever the experience, that’s the kind of lifestyle I want to live.
Is there a particular piece or project you are especially proud of?
I’ve had two solo exhibitions so far: "One day I saw the sunset forty-four times" in Toronto, Canada, in 2018, and "Never Left" in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in 2021. I’m equally proud of both, as each represents a unique chapter in my artistic journey.
What is your favourite book or film and why?
I find it difficult to pick just one favorite book or film, but I’d like to share two books that have been particularly memorable and significant to me: "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and "The Prince and the Pauper" by Mark Twain. I first read The Prince and the Pauper during my elementary years. It’s the story of two boys—Edward VI, the Prince of Wales, and Tom Canty, a poor boy—who swap lives and experience each other’s worlds. I found the concept of swapping lives fascinating because, as a child, who hasn’t dreamed of living someone else’s life? I wished I could be the boy with all the toys and video games or the one who traveled overseas with his family. However, after moving to Canada, I came to understand that living abroad often comes with homesickness and challenges of its own. In the story, the prince and the pauper gain firsthand insights into each other’s struggles, teaching the importance of empathy and understanding. This message resonates with me, especially since living in different places during my youth has allowed me to see the world from various perspectives. For instance, I’ve come to understand why people growing up in China might view the China-Taiwan relationship differently—but that’s a story for another time. "The Little Prince" is another book that has deeply inspired me. I didn’t read it until I was in university, introduced to it by a friend, but it quickly became one of my favorites. The themes of wonder, imagination, and human connection deeply resonate with me. This book inspired my first solo exhibition, One day I saw the sunset forty-four times, held at Northern Contemporary Gallery in Toronto in 2018.
Are you working on any projects you are particularly excited about?
I am currently working on a new series of paintings for my upcoming solo exhibition next year. It will take place in Vancouver's Chinatown at THIS Gallery next summer. This series will be completely new and different from my previous work, so stay tuned!