About the exhibition
Observations in Oil brings together a selection of paintings by John Wang, reflecting over six decades of sustained engagement with the medium of oil painting. Working primarily from observation, Wang’s practice centres on the everyday landscapes of Sydney—its streets, waterways, and built environments—capturing moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed. Presented as part of Scholarship Showcase 2026, this exhibition recognises Wang’s long-standing commitment to painting and his contribution to local arts communities. Observations in Oil offers a reflection on a lifetime of practice—one that finds meaning not in spectacle, but in the careful attention to the everyday, and in the enduring act of looking.
This exhibition is the outcome of John Wang receiving the Liverpool Powerhouse Scholarship Award 2025 at the 27th Annual Liverpool Art Society Exhibition.
The Liverpool Powerhouse Scholarship Award is proudly sponsored by Liverpool City Council and supported by Liverpool Powerhouse as part of the Liverpool Art Society’s Annual Exhibition & Prizes. The winning artist receives funds to support an exhibition, along with support from the curatorial team.
Exhibition Statement
Observations in Oil brings together a selection of paintings by John Wang, reflecting over six decades of sustained engagement with the medium of oil painting. Working primarily from observation, Wang’s practice centres on the everyday landscapes of Sydney—its streets,
waterways, and built environments—capturing moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed.
Alongside his more recent works some landscapes made in the 1970s and 1980s will be showcased which Wang created on the streets of Shanghai before he moved to Sydney.
Across the exhibition, Wang turns his attention to places defined by quiet movement: urban scenes that are shaped by the presence of people, yet often depicted in their absence. Roads, shopfronts, harbours, and suburban edges become sites of stillness, where time appears
momentarily suspended. In these works, the familiar is rendered with care and patience, revealing a sensitivity to light, atmosphere, and the subtle shifts that occur within a single moment.
Wang’s approach to painting is grounded in consistency and observation. Rather than pursuing a singular thematic narrative, his practice unfolds through repetition and return—revisiting similar subjects over time, each painting offering a slightly different way of seeing. This accumulation of works reflects not only a record of place, but also a record of looking: an ongoing process of noticing, translating, and preserving.
While rooted in traditional oil painting techniques, Wang’s work demonstrates a quiet experimentation with colour and tone. His palette moves between naturalistic and expressive, at times heightening the mood of a scene through subtle shifts in colour relationships. These
decisions contribute to the emotional register of the works, inviting viewers to pause and reconsider spaces they might otherwise overlook.
Presented as part of Scholarship Showcase 2026, this exhibition recognises Wang’s long-standing commitment to painting and his contribution to local arts communities. Observations in Oil offers a reflection on a lifetime of practice—one that finds meaning not in spectacle, but in the careful attention to the everyday, and in the enduring act of looking.
- Words by Exhibition Curator Arianne Bulanos
Artist Bio
John Wang is a self-taught artist with over 60 years of painting practice. After migrating to Australia, he developed his artistic practice alongside a full-time career as a picture framer, where his close engagement with artworks informed a strong understanding of composition, material, and technique. Working primarily in oil paint, Wang’s practice focuses on natural and urban landscapes, capturing observations of everyday life in Sydney. His paintings often depict quiet, transitional spaces—streets, waterways, and built environments
that are shaped by movement yet momentarily still. Through careful observation, he reveals the subtle beauty of places people pass through, holding them as moments in time.
While grounded in traditional oil painting, Wang’s work demonstrates a sensitivity to colour and atmosphere, at times experimenting with tonal shifts to evoke mood and light. His practice reflects a lifelong commitment to painting, shaped by routine, patience, and an enduring attention to the everyday.
Wang is a long-standing member of both the Liverpool Art Society and Hurstville Art Society, and has exhibited regularly within community art contexts including the Blooming Jacaranda Painting Exhibitions. In 2022, he presented a solo exhibition at Dragon’s Lair Gallery in
Hurstville. Wang also won the John Mula Memorial Prize at the 25th Annual Liverpool Art Society Exhibition. In 2025, he was awarded the Liverpool Art Society Scholarship, recognising his continued contribution to painting and his ongoing artistic practice.
Exhibition Launch
Please RSVP to attend the launch of Observations in Oil on Saturday 27th June, 2-4pm. This exhibition will launch alongside Woomera - field recording: Yhonnie Scarce and Stories the Land Wears: Mia Lovelock.
RSVP link: Winter Exhibitions Launch
