Simon Xianwen Zeng learned oriental artwork, including calligraphy, paintings, and seal engravings, all back in China; starting at the young age of 12. Before immigrating to the US, he had spent 17 years honing his artistic craft, winning national prizes for his artwork. As for Mr. Zeng's Western artwork, he studied at the Art Students League of New York. He says "I like and respect them both. I think they are all great art. The various differences in culture, history, and artistic instruments allow for numerous styles of artwork. But regardless of whether the piece is oriental or western, good artwork should express the truth, virtue, and beauty of humanity; instilling within the viewer a sense of joy and happiness, and provoking deep contemplation and reflection."
Simon Xianwen Zeng was born in a scholar's family in the historic town of Jinzhou, Dalian city, in southern Liaoning, China. His calligraphy began in the Kai style of the Tang Dynasty, and then followed in the cursive and running styles of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, as Mr. Zeng developed his primitive, measured, nature, and sometimes humorous style. Mr. Zeng believes that calligraphy should express the noble, pure, and spiritual feelings of the artist. His painting draws upon the Painting Collection of Sanxitang, and Jieziyuan, and other important painting styles of past and present, and represents the graceful shape of objects thorough skillful brush abstraction. His chop engraving, derived from that of the Han Dynasty, and carved in the strong style passed down by the master Zhan Ao Liu, represents a style of classical strength.
In 1996, Mr. Zeng immigrated to the US for his artistic pursues. He has taught college courses on the subject of oriental art and has held a number of exhibitions of his own works. He works and lives as a independent professional artist in New York City.
Published Works and Exhibitions
1992 Painting selected for inclusion in exhibition called Tang and Song Dynasty Poems, a collection of paintings, calligraphy and chop engraving touring Japan.
1992 Calligraphy published in The Excellent Works Collection of Contemporary Adult Calligraphers and Seal Cutters by the Chinese Calligraphers Association, Shandong Province Art Publishing Company, Shandong, China.
1993 Calligraphy selected for inclusion in Selected Works of Twentieth Century Chinese and Korean Calligraphers Works.
1993 Calligraphy selected for entry in the Beijing 2000 Olympics: First International Exhibition of Painting and Calligraphy, held in Beijing China, sponsored by the Chinese Calligraphers Association and Chinese Artists Association). A national exhibition to show the full range of art in China. Exhibited in Yan Huang Museum in Beijing.
1993 Painting and Calligraphy shown at the Chinese Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition Shandong providence, China. Sponsored by the Chinese Calligraphers Association, Shandong providence branch.
1993 Selected for inclusion the Appreciating Ancient and Modern Calligraphy by Chinese Calligraphers Association (Yellow River Publishing Company, Jinan, China).
1993 Work collected by the Sichuan Museum of Calligraphy.
1994 Calligraphy selected for entry in Beijing 1994 Fu Shou (Prosperity and longevity) works of contemporary painters and calligraphers, exhibited in Gu Zhong Museum in Beijing. Only 200 works chosen from nationwide entries. Catalog published by the National Cultural Publishing Company.
1994 Calligraphy selected for Liao Ning Providence Calligraphy Exhibition. Sponsored by Liao Ning Providence Calligraphy Artist Association.
1994 Calligraphy included in A Record of Chinese Calligraphers, Painters and Seal Carvers, edited by Deng Yunfeng (Henan Publishing Company, 1996)
1995 Calligraphy selected for entry in the Sixth National Exhibition Calligraphers and Seal works Sponsored by the Chinese Calligrapher's Association. Exhibited in China Revolution and history museum in Beijing, China.
Simon Zeng's art-making process was filmed into a short video by SAP. This video was showed in the Opening Ceremony for BeiJing 2011 International Conference, which is called The SAP Sapphire. .
2011 Two pieces of watercolor paintings selected for "Best of Artist" magazine by Kennedy Publishing in Virginia.
2011 Simon's process of creating calligraphy art and his image has been filmed by SAP Germany;part of this process of film has been used as the introduction movie for the Beijing 2011 International Science Conference.
2012 won First place in "The Greater Westhampton chamber of Commerce 40th Annual Art show" NY
2013 won First place in "The Greater Westhampton chamber of Commerce 41st Annual Art show" NY
Sept. 2015, Simon Xianwen zeng's oil painting " Symphony of Dawn" has been published by White Pine Press (New York) as the cover of "Wild Apple" by HeeDuk Ra. (the book on Amazon)
May 17h 2019 - article features Simon Zeng was published in newspaper The Citizen's Voice.
2019 - Simon Zeng's oil painting "A Snowing Day" is used as the cover of book Looking for Dragon Smoke by Robert Bly. This is the second time Simon Zeng's painting is used as the cover of a Robert Bly book.
March 2019 - "Leave The Mark In The Snow" was accepted by Princeton University Art Museum.
May 17h 2019 - article features Simon Zeng was published in newspaper The Citizen's Voice.
2019 - Simon Zeng's oil painting "A Snowing Day" is used as the cover of book Looking for Dragon Smoke by Robert Bly. This is the second time Simon Zeng's painting is used as the cover of a Robert Bly book.
2020, January, an article "Flushing artist pens featuring Chinese Seals" about Simon's seal book in Time Ledger newspaper
2024,Jan World Journal net reported Simon's award issue in Florence Italy
HONORS AND AWARDS
1993 Artist of International Renown awarded by a panel of National Associations of Asian Countries, including Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan.
1993 Recognized as a Treasure of Chinese Literature and Art for his talent, conferred by the Chinese Art Research Academy.
1994 Excellent work Award, given at the Beijing 2000 Olympics: First International Exhibition of Painting and Calligraphy. Sponsored by the Chinese Government, Chinese Calligraphy Association and Chinese Artist's Association. Exhibited in Yan Huang Museum in Beijing, China.
1995 Cash prize awarded by the Rong Bao Zai Art Gallery in Beijing, China.
2001 Second prize awarded at the Washington Square outdoor Arts Exhibition in New York City, New York.
2002 First place awarded in the Park Avenue Summer Arts Festival in Rochester, New York
2002 Honorable award in Long Beach Fine Arts Show of New York.
2009 Won First Place Prize in 54th Anniversary Fine Arts Fiesta in Wilkes-Barre,PA.
2012 won First place in "The Greater Westhampton chamber of Commerce 40th Annual Art show" NY.
2013, won First Place in The Greater Westhampton Chamber of Commerce 41st Annual Art Show
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Arts
Member of the Artist Committee of the Chinese Academy of Calligraphy
Member of the Liaoning Chapter of the Chinese Calligraphers Association
Assistant Chief Editor of "A Record of Chinese Calligraphers, Painters and Seal Carvers Xianwen Zheng's art works have also been collected by the Research Institute of Chinese Calligraphy Art and Sichuan Dazu Art Museum of Stone Inscription in China. His name has been included on record as a treasure of Chinese Literature and Art talent.
