Artist Statement
​Ming Qian (Henry) Wang was born on 21 February 2007 in Beijing, China. He moved to Vancouver, Canada at eleven. By five he had already begun drawing freely and discovered a natural talent that pulled him into the world of art and imagination.
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​Wang has been recipient of 12th Youth World Cup Live Competition supported by UNICEF and The David Evans Scholarship from the New Arts Foundations of Vancouver in 2024.
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Henry in his own words:
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"From as early as I can remember, the idea of art has been stuck in my head. I started drawing, coloring, and practicing traditional Chinese calligraphy. At eleven I left Beijing for Vancouver, and the sudden change made everything feel unfamiliar because my entire view of the world had come from life in Beijing.
As an eleven-year-old newcomer it was hard to fit in, and as a new Asian Canadian it was even tougher to feel “normal” in an unfamiliar community. Still, in my spare time art kept me company. I sketched objects and people around me that felt interesting. My real creative spark did not ignite until the pandemic in 2020.
During lockdowns the forced isolation felt almost like drowning. Long stretches of loneliness and hopelessness stirred something deep inside me. I was thirteen and craving a new way to express the churn of thoughts in my head. That is when I fell in love with painting. It is calming yet aggressive; each stroke carries anger but lands as lightly as an angel’s wing. For the first time I felt I was writing a story with color and emotion, a real story told through a brush.
Since then I have kept making art, chasing new ideas, using canvas and paint to surface thoughts I normally keep hidden. Many pieces are full of darkness and disorder, yet I also want their stories to convey human feeling and the complexity at the heart of our nature. Everything I paint circles one question: How do individuals perceive and experience life? Our humanity is defined by what we feel—mentally, physically, emotionally. Ignore that and the point of living fades; we become tiny specks in the universe.
As my life experience grows, the stories my paintings tell feel more concrete. Some things are fragmented or chaotic, but we still have to face them. Whether joyful or pensive, my work is about the stories of being alive. Art, to me, is a way to survive, to value the present, and to look forward. It is complicated and not always pretty, but even the ugly parts of life deserve to be recorded because beneath the heaviest darkness there is always a bit of beauty.
I love art because it loves me back. It lets me turn the images in my mind into something tangible, and that feeling of creating something from nothing is pure exhilaration."
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This website contains a majority of Henry's works from 2020-present.
Artist CV / Credentials
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Education and Training
2025-Present Carnegie Mellon University
2020-2025 British Columbia Creative Center
2020-2025 Point Grey Secondary School
Experience
2025- Present Marketing Assistant at The University Store CMU, Pittsburgh PA
2025- Present Event Coordinator at PASAGE Studios CMU, Pittsburgh PA
2025- Present Public Relations Chair at Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity CMU, Pittsburgh PA
2025-Present Part-time Junior Art Instructor at British Columbia Creative Center, Vancouver BC
2024- 2025 Art Teacher Assistant at ArtShu. Inc, Vancouver BC
2024- 2025 Point Grey Leadership Team, Vancouver BC
2024- 2025 Arts Of Our Community, Non-Profit Fundraisers, Vancouver, BC
2023-2025 Coaching for Special Olympics Basketball at Point Grey Secondary School, Vancouver BC
2023-2025 Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver BC
2023-2025 Service Student/ Peer tutor at Point Grey Secondary School, Vancouver BC
2023 Chinatown Food Distribution, Vancouver BC
2021-2022 Coaching at Empower Basketball Club, Vancouver BC
Skills
Languages
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English (Native Speaker, high level writing and documenting)
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Mandarin Chinese (Native Speaker, high level reading, fluent typewriter)
Artistic Skills
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Developed a wide range of studio practices including painting, mixed media, and experimental techniques across large and small formats
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Planned and prepared artwork for exhibitions, including concept development, layout decisions, framing, installation, and documentation
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Built cohesive visual narratives through thematic research, drafts, and iterative refinement of artistic ideas
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Managed time-intensive projects with consistent attention to detail, color, and form
Communication and Outreach
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Engaged with audiences, students, and collaborators through clear, approachable communication during gallery events and workshops
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Wrote marketing copy, captions, and promotional material to support exhibitions, programs, and student-focused initiatives
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Used social media and community outreach to increase visibility and participation for events and nonprofit projects
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Adapted communication style across teaching, customer-facing roles, and professional collaborations
Leadership and Teaching
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Mentored youth artists in structured lessons, demonstrations, critiques, and hands-on studio guidance
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Led or assisted in organizing community programs, workshops, and events for schools, nonprofits, and local art spaces
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Provided structured coaching in both artistic and athletic settings, supporting skill development and teamwork
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Took on leadership roles in school and community groups, helping plan, coordinate, and execute ongoing initiatives
Professional Experience
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Supported gallery exhibitions, nonprofit events, and public art programs through hands-on coordination, communication, and planning
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Worked with cultural organizations, studios, and schools to deliver workshops, community events, and youth programs
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Helped manage outreach efforts for fundraisers, art shows, and student-focused initiatives
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Collaborated with curators, instructors, and event teams to prepare spaces, handle logistics, and communicate with participants
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Adapted to both studio and administrative environments, balancing creative tasks with organizational responsibilities
Exhibitions
2025 “Friend of a Friend” Group Exhibition at The Frame Gallery, Pittsburgh PA
2025 “Threshold 18 — Metamorphosis” Solo Exhibition at JIG Space Gallery, Vancouver BC
2024 David Evans Scholarship Nominees Group Exhibition - New Arts Foundation of Vancouver, North Vancouver BC
2024 Point Grey Secondary School Art Exhibition, Vancouver BC
2023 “Peace of My Mind” Solo Exhibition at Lipont Gallery, Richmond BC
Achievements
2025 Point Grey Secondary Grad Class Valedictorian, Vancouver BC
2025 Point Grey Secondary Merit Award+Scholarship, Vancouver BC
2024 12th Youth World Cup Live Painting Competition - UNICEF- Auction Certificate, Vancouver BC
2024 12th Youth World Cup Live Painting Competition - UNICEF- First Place, Richmond BC
2024 David Evans Scholarship - New Arts Foundation of Vancouver, Vancouver BC
2024 Point Grey Excellence in Athletics Certificate Award, Vancouver BC
2023 11th Youth World Cup Live Painting Competition - UNICEF- First Place, Richmond BC
2023 Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award - Young Elite Vancouver, Vancouver BC
2023 Fine and Performing Arts Award - Point Grey Secondary School, Vancouver BC
Private Art Collection
“Sensory,” 2023 - Mr. Dario Meli, Vancouver BC
“An Unforgettable Memory,” 2023 - Mrs. Li Yu, Vancouver BC
“The Vision,” 2023 - Mr. Han Chang Qing, Shandong, China
“Swirly Sounding Body of Water,” 2023 - Mr. Chen Sheng Cheng, Richmond BC
“Snowfall,” 2022 - Mr. Liu Jiang Chuan, Coquitlam BC
“Forest Beneath the Clouds,” 2023 - Mr. Zheng Yong He, Richmond BC
“Cactus Face,” 2023 - Mr. Yang Hong Peng, Vancouver BC
“Blue road And Natural Fantasy,“ 2020 - Ms Tracy Li, Vancouver BC
“Freshly Painted Red,” 2022 - Mr. Zhang Guang Hui, Richmond BC
“Vineyard,” 2023 - Mr. Bai Ji Ping, Mission BC
“Red Brick Wall,” 2023 - Mr. Liu Chao Fang, Vancouver BC
“Instructor in the Top Hat,” 2023 - Mr. Shawn He, Richmond BC
“Spirits And Red Chair,” 2023 - Mr. William Ma, Vancouver BC
Bibliography And Press
2024 BCBUSINESS, Giving It Away: Philanthropy is alive and well in BC, p.54, Print, Magazine
2023 Hui, Vikki. Richmond News, Online
2023 City of Richmond, Community and Culture, Online
https://www.richmond.ca/culture/calendar/search/Event.aspx?EventID=15788,
2023 He, Shawn. Foreword, “Peace of My Mind,” Print
2023 Ticar, Jay. Afterword, “Peace of My Mind,” Print
2023 Global News, Event, Online
https://globalnews.ca/event/9978279/peace-of-my-mind/
2023 Georgia Straight, Online
2023 BC Creative Center, “Peace of My Mind,” Print, Online
https://www.bccreativecenter.com/events
2023 Lipond Gallery, Online