About this Event
Discover the art of gongbi with artist Fang Chenzi, and take home a silk fan coloured by your own hand. Gongbi is a meticulous tradition of Chinese painting in which colour is built up slowly, layer by layer, on silk.
In this intimate two-hour workshop, Fang will introduce the materials and techniques behind her work and demonstrate how a single brushstroke of colour can transform the delicate surface of silk. Each participant will receive a silk round fan with a design drawn in advance by the artist, bringing together everyday images in the spirit of her paintings.
You will colour your fan under Fang's guidance, watching depth and luminosity gradually emerge as each layer is added.
No painting experience is needed. All materials are provided – just bring your curiosity.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Date: Friday 18 December 2026
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Location: North Gallery, Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AS
Places: Limited to 10 participants
Suitable for: Ages 16+.
Young people aged 12–15 are welcome when accompanied by a participating adult.
Please wear clothes you don't mind getting paint on.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
The workshop takes place alongside Silk-Thin Universes – Fang Chenzi: Playing in Earnest, the artist's first solo exhibition in London.
Curated by Dongye Xu, the exhibition brings together around 50 paintings on silk, including her long-running playing-card series and the first public showing of her newest series, The Clear Grove.
Silk-Thin Universes – Fang Chenzi: Playing in Earnest
15 – 19 December 2026
Open daily, 10am – 5pm
North Gallery, Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AS
Free admission
Event venue & nearby stays
Mall Galleries, The Mall, London, United Kingdom
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