Zen and the art of landscape brush painting

Selwyn Community Education is delighted to announce that Wei Hun La is joining our team of talented tutors in 2019.

In Zen Brush Painting Landscapes for Beginners (starting 25 February) you’ll learn how to use Chinese ink calligraphy techniques to paint landscapes and understand the ideas of Zen and meditation in the art form.

Wei draws on his artistic strengths to also teach Japanese Anime Drawing ( starts 6 May 2019). With a range of kids’ holiday workshops and after-school art classes, Wei hopes to inspire a new generation with the confidence to explore artistically.

Wei is a Vietnam-born Chinese New Zealander. He holds a master’s of architecture degree from the University of Auckland. His art practice is based around his keen interest in eco-friendly issues and contemporary identity in Chinese ink paintings which is continually evolving and not easily reducible to definite categories. His art explores the ideas of personal stories in symbolic objects; diversity in cultural motifs; and gestures of fragility in life philosophies. The work’s complex interaction with Chinese porcelain patterns weaves historical references and significant moments in life behind his objects. His paintings embrace the pulsating energy and richness of different cultures and create an intensity that is covered with interpretation and stories. Ha is a winner in a number of New Zealand art awards, namely the Wallace Arts Vermont Award (2016), Franklin’s Art Award (2016 merit for landscape), the Wallace Arts People’s Choice Award (2015) and the Estuary Arts Award (2014). Last year he travelled to Vermont, the USA to complete a 3-month residency to further develop ink porcelain painting. This year his works would travel to the 2019 Beijing Biennal.