Tang Wei Min Three times finalist of International Portrait competitions in the US, Canada and China.Winner of the Exceptional Merit Award by the Portrait Society of America. HonorableMention in the Art Renewal Center’s International ARC Salon. Winner (2 nd place) of theInternational Child Portrait Competition. Winner of the Charles B.Wang competition inChina.Tang Wei Min was born in 1971 in Yong Zhou, Hunan Province. In 1991 Tanggraduated from the Art Department of Hunan Standard College, where hemajored in Oil Painting. Since that time, he is working as a professional oilpainter. In 2001, Wei Min was accepted into a graduate study program of OilPanting in Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.In the same 2001 his panting "Girl with fan" was sponsored by the school for theprestigious scholarship named after "Charles B.Wang”.The painting received second prize at the exhibition organized for thisscholarship and Wei Min received the scholarship. This work, now in privatecollection, also was selected for the May 2001 issue of "Chinese Oil Painting ".His work "Summer dream" was displayed in the tryout of "China Oil Portray"exhibition. Yet another Tang's work "Peeping" was shown at the Present-day OilPainting exhibition in the Hunan Province.In 2003 The Beijing Museum of Fine Art exhibited and purchased his painting.Tang is a practicing Zen Buddhist and his work full of symbols of Buddhism.In 2008-2011 Wei Min took part in several important fine art juried shows andcompetitions in China. In 2010 his oil on board painting based on his earlier work“Motherhood” won the 2 nd prize at the Hangzhou National Juried Art Show. Samepainting won “Public Admiration” award on the Hong Kong 2011 Art Fair.In 2012 Tang Wei Min became a finalist of the China National Competition of OilPaintings called “New Realism” and received prestigious “Exceptional merit”diploma/award. The works of the finalists were exhibited in the China ArtMuseum in Beijing.His painting “Motherhood” was purchased by the National Art Museum of China,or NAMOC, for the permanent collection of the department of oil paintings.Tang’s paintings became fashionable among Chinese novo-rich, and his pricesare growing daily. During January – March 2012 Wei Min prepared a series ofpaintings for a mansion of the Governor of Shanghai.During the fall of 2012 the paintings were exhibited in the Shanghai City Galleryfor public view.In 2013 Tang was invited to take part in the national invitational “Wisdom of theera” juried art exhibition. After becoming one of the main winners, he participatedin a touring exhibition “Award winning artists of China” in major cities of China.Currently Tang lives in a monastery near his home town, in order to be spirituallyclean for painting of art, and to be surrounded by the objects he depicts in his art– world of the ancient China. Tang considers the art of painting as his way tobring harmony, balance and beauty to the world.Tang is married with two children. His wife Youpin is his constant inspiration anda model for most of his paintings. She is also a researcher that looks for objectsand costumes for his paintings. Together they create stories (spiritual meanings)of each painting that Tang Wei Min paints.Recoup:1989 (age 18) entered the Art Department of Hunan Normal College, majoring inoil painting1991 (age 20) graduated Hunan Standard College, majoring in Oil Painting,began working as a prof painter2001 (age 30) accepted into graduate program at the Guangzhou Academy ofFine Arts received M.F.A.2001 “Girl with Fan” received High Honors and Wei Min was awarded thescholarship2003 “Peeping” on exhibition in the Hunan Province, the Beijing Museum of FineArt acquired the painting2008 Winner of Art Renewal Center Award (ARC)2012 “Exceptional Merit Diploma/Award” in the China National Competition of OilPaintings called “New Realism”, currently his work is sold in China for 300,000 –450,000 yuan ($50,000 to $75,000)July 2012 prices raised by 10% with the competition results and his success inChina. (New price for this 48” x 32” is $40,000 unframed instead of $36,000).2013 Chosen to participate in the national invitational “Wisdom of the era” juriedart exhition2013 Participated in a touring exhibition “Award winning artists of China” in majorcities of China. Prices in China continue rising2014-2018 – series of personal exhibitions in Asia (Hong Kong, Beijing,Singapore)Personal story as it is told by Wei Min himself:When I was five, I saw a person drawing a pig on a piece of paper. The pig wasso vivid that looked like a real one. I admired him very much. Then, I took out mypen and started my own drawing. It wasn’t very successful, but I continued andused to make sketches on blank margins of textbooks. Then I started to copyprints of Chinese painting.When I was in middle school I began to paint post office stamps. The stamps Icreated were so close to real ones that they often tricked my teachers andclassmates. I once sent a mail using my painted stamp and was proud of mydeed for several hours, until my mom found what I did.When I was 18 years old I passed national college admission exam and went toArt Department of Hunan Normal College majoring in oil painting. I started toread art books in the college. I learned the outline of the histories of Chinese andWestern painting. I knew that painting was not only a skill and, moreover, was anexpression of thought and spirit. I started to observe carefully the traditionalculture and its vision art. I scored excellent in my test during my college studyand several of my paintings were purchased for the collection of my university.I seriously studied Chines vision arts, and carefully investigated many modernWestern arts including pictures and text data. I respectfully studied orientalwisdom and teachings by Confucius, Buddhism, and Taoism. Occasionally Iunderstood some of them and felt very happy. I felt a breeze of Zen flowing in myheart.Among many painters I like Magritte from Belgium because heart likes unknownin the view of Magritte. Heart likes symbols with implication unknown to human.The meaning of heart is unknown. Magritte quietly works on his canvas andcreates puzzling vision pictures one after another. I also love Dali. Rembrandt ismy guiding light. In my dreams I am his apprentice. I am trying to bridge Orientaland Western cultures. After all, we are all humans.  Paintings in the permanent collection of the Beijing Museum of Fine Art (China)* His oil on canvas painting “Girl with Fan” was featured on a cover of “Chinese OilPaintings” magazine. Winner of the International Portrait Competition (USA). Finalist of the International Portrait Competition (Canada, 2006). Winner (2 nd place) of the International Child Portrait Competition (USA). Winner of the Charles B. Wang competition (China, 2001). Winner of the juried “Present-day China oil paintings” competition (China, 2003). Made cover at American Art Collectors magazine (2019)*After Beijing Museum of Art purchase, of Tang’s prices on art auctions in China reached$150,000 USD per large size painting.Tang Wei Min was born in Yong Zhou, Hunan Province in 1971. He graduated from theArt Department of Hunan Standard College, where he majored in Oil Painting. Since1991 he worked as a professional oil painter.In 2001, he was accepted into a graduate study program of Oil Panting in GuangzhouAcademy of Fine Arts. In the same year his panting "Girl with Fan" was sponsored bythe school for the prestigious scholarship named after "Charles B. Wang”. The paintingreceived second prize at the exhibition. This work, now in private collection, also wasselected for the May 2001 issue of "Chinese Oil Panting".Another of his works "Summer Dream" was displayed in the tryout of "China Oil Portrait"exhibition. Yet another work "Peeping" was shown at the Present-day Oil PaintingExhibition in the Hunan Province. In 2003 The Beijing Museum of Fine Art exhibited andpurchased this painting.Tang is a practicing Zen Buddhist, and his work is full of symbols of Buddhism. CurrentlyTang lives in a monastery near his home town. He wants to be spiritually clean forpainting of art, and to be surrounded by the objects he depicts.Tang considers the art of painting as his way to bring harmony, balance, and beauty tothe world. He is married, and has two children. He often called in his homeland“Chinese Rembrandt.”* Wei Min – first name, Tang – family name. In China they first write family name, then firstname.