Victor Wang grew up in northern China, where he received a unique art education. Now a full-time professor at Fontbonne, where he has been for the past 28 years, that training is reflected in his curriculum’s commitment to teaching representational and figurative drawing and painting through traditional and contemporary approaches.
Wang teaches life-size figure drawing, painting (color theory), oil painting technique (classical/traditional technique), figurative art (art history), and graduate seminar and critique classes. He recently shared the following insights into his teaching methods and the benefits of Fontbonne’s Fine Arts program.
Q: How does your upbringing in China, as well as your professional endeavors, inspire your work at Fontbonne?
A: My art training in China was quite different from those of other art professors here. I graduated from Art Academy in China, which used a 19th-century French Academy and Russian Academy art teaching approach. Because of my unique art training experiences, I can share this with my students at Fontbonne. Also, I am an active practical artist who is very involved in the U.S. art society. I am able to share these experiences with my students as well.
Q: What are your goals for your students?
A: I try to create an engaging art learning environment for them and provide a good foundation of art knowledge to help them grow independently. This assures they have a broader and more fruitful knowledge of art to be successful in the future.
Q: How does Fontbonne’s Fine Arts program stand out from other universities?
A: The Fine Arts program at Fontbonne is very unique. We offer strong fundamental training and perceptual skills. We also emphasize representational art and figurative art. There are no other art schools that offer this type of art education in the region; therefore, our students have better drawing, painting and sculpture skills in representational art.
Q: What excites you the most about the future of fine arts education?
A: There are more motivated and figurative art students applying to our art program. The students here at Fontbonne are of exceptional quality, and I look forward to seeing them grow into accomplished artists.
Wang is a former recipient of the Joan Goostree Stevens Excellence in Teaching Award, which recognizes the outstanding teachers who contribute to Fontbonne’s learning environment.
You can view Wang’s work online. Learn more about Fontbonne’s Fine Arts program on the department’s website.
