Nan Liu

Professor, Drawing & Painting

Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Center West, Room 204

(850)599-8756

nan.liu@famu.edu

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INTRODUCTION

Nan Liu began to study Chinese brush painting and calligraphy at a very young age in Tianjin, China. At the age of 16, Nan was named the winner of the prestigious title, “Young Artist of Tianjin” by the Cultural Committee of Tianjin City. In 1992, he was admitted to the Oriental Art Department of Nan Kai University and majored in Chinese brush painting. Among his many teachers, he was most influenced by the renowned contemporary Chinese painter, Fan Zeng, especially by his use of simple and vigorous brush strokes emphasizing dynamic delineation form. In 1996, Nan continued his graduate study in Art Education at Capital Normal University in Beijing. In 1999, Nan came to the United Stated and studied Art Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in pursuit of his Master of Arts degree.

In 2002, Nan began his pursuit of a dual degree that included both a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and a Ph.D. in art education at Florida State University. As an emerging artist, Nan has explored various art forms in recent years, including drawing, watercolor, tempera, ink and oil painting. The subjects range in still life, figures, and landscape. Nan’s artworks promote natural and simple artistic expression. Nature has consistently served as the main theme in his works in recent years. In Nan’s recent paintings, he attempts to create a series of life-sized FAMU student figurative paintings with oil and ink medium, and tries to capture the moments that make up students’ lives on campus.

Nan’s artworks have been exhibited across the United States among public institutes, museums, and galleries. Many of his paintings and drawings have been collected by private patrons. From 2007-2022, Nan has held 11 solo art exhibitions, and participated in 108 regional, national, and international invitational or juried art exhibitions. In those exhibitions Nan has won 18 awards.

In 2005, Nan was awarded the Mario Plescia Award for painting by Florida State University. In 2012, Nan received Best in Show Award from 24th Art in Gadsden Exhibition, Most Thought Provoking Award from Alexandria Museum of Art’s 25th September Competition Exhibition in Louisiana, Founder’s Award from Sumi-e Society of America’s 49th Annual Juried Exhibition, and Jean Wagner Troemel Award from St. Augustine Art Association’s “3rd Nature & Wildlife Art Exhibition”. In 2013, Nan won 2nd Place in Valdosta National all media juried art competition at Fine Arts Gallery, Valdosta State University in Georgia, Best of Show Calligraphy and National Capital Area Chapter Award by Sumi-e Society of America’s 50th Annual Juried Exhibition, 1st Place in Ocala Art Group’s Juried Art Exhibition “A Toast to the Arts-Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” at Appleton Museum of Art. In 2014, Nan received 2nd Place in St. Augustine Art Association’s Annual Honors Show, and 3rd Place at Art Center Sarasota’s 2nd Annual Florida Flavor Exhibition. In 2015﹐Nan received 2nd Place in 27th Art in Gadsden, Gadsden Arts Center, Quincy, Florida and Jerry’s Artarama Award in 2015 Sumi-e Society of America 52nd Annual Juried Exhibition. In 2016, Nan won the Best in Show of Painting in Sumi-e Society of America 53rd Annual Juried Exhibition.

In 2015, Nan was invited by Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture, California Lutheran University as artist in residence, and participated in the “Chinese Figurative Realism in the 21st-Century” exhibition. In 2016, Nan was interviewed by John Seed, a renowned art critic. The interview article, “Nan Liu: An Artist’s Cross-Cultural Journey” was published on The Huffington Post. In 2017, Nan was invited as the independent juror, judge for Sumi-e Society of America’s 54th Annual Juried Exhibition, and taught a 3-day figurative painting workshop for members. In 2019, Nan served as the judge for Florida Book Award-Visual Art category. In 2021, Nan was honored to be the judge for the 28th Annual Fall Festival of the Arts-Deland.

In 2019, Nan published his first book, “Art Education in the United States” in China by Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House, and it is the first comprehensive book introducing American art education theories and concepts to Chinese art educators and audiences. In 2009, Nan cooperated with Dr. Jingru Ma, translating Dr. Tom Anderson’s book Art for Life into Chinese and published by Hunan Fin Arts Publishing House in China. From 2013 to now, Nan had published 9 academic papers, and presented 13 academic papers on the theme of teaching and learning drawing and paintings at various conferences. From 2000, Nan has been invited as a guest artist and speaker conducting to over a hundred lectures and workshops on Chinese painting and calligraphy by universities, museums, galleries, public schools, and art festivals.

Nan has taught art classes for all age-level groups and has worked with young students from kindergarten to high school, college students, and senior citizens over 20 years. Nan currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida, with his wife, Haiqiong Deng, their son, Ethan, and daughter, Isabel. Nan is currently the professor of art teaching drawing, painting and art education classes at Department of Visual Arts, Humanities & Theatre, Florida A&M University

EDUCATION

Florida State University, Art Education, Ph.D., 2009

Florida State University, Painting, M.F.A. 2006

University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Art Education, M.A., 2001

Capital Normal University, Beijing, China, Art Education, M.A., 1999

Nan Kai University, Tianjin, China, Chinese Painting, B.F.A., 1996

COURSES TAUGHT

Drawing I, Drawing II, Life Drawing, Watercolor Painting, Mixed Media Painting, Oil Painting, Advanced Workshop

SELECTED AWARDS

Best in Show of Painting, Sumi-e Society of America 53rd Annual Juried Exhibition, 2016
Second Place, 27th Art in Gadsden, Gadsden Arts Center, Quincy, Florida, 2015
Jerry’s Artarama Award, Sumi-e Society of America 52nd Annual Juried Exhibition, 2015
Second Place in St. Augustine Art Association’s Annual Honors Show, 2014
Third Place at Art Center Sarasota’s 2nd Annual Florida Flavor Exhibition, 2014
Second Place in Valdosta National all media juried art competition at Fine Arts Gallery, Valdosta State University in Georgia, 2013
Best of Show Calligraphy and National Capital Area Chapter Award, Sumi-e Society of America’s 50th Annual Juried Exhibition, 2013
First Place in Ocala Art Group’s Juried Art Exhibition “A Toast to the Arts-Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” at Appleton Museum of Art, 2013
Best in Show Award from 24th Art in Gadsden Exhibition, 2012
Most Thought Provoking Award, Alexandria Museum of Art’s 25th September Competition Exhibition in Louisiana, 2012
Founder’s Award, Sumi-e Society of America’s 49th Annual Juried Exhibition, 2012
Jean Wagner Troemel Award, St. Augustine Art Association’s 3rd Nature & Wildlife Art Exhibition, 2012
Mario Plescia Award for painting, Florida State University, 2005
Faculty Travel Grant, Florida A&M University, Fall 2016, Spring 2015, and Fall 2012
Graduate Assistantship, Florida State University, 2002-2008
Graduate Assistantship, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 1999-2001