Dapeng Liu resides in Sydney, Australia where he creates art that sits at the intersections of his cross cultural identity. Born in Beijing, Dapeng holds a unique cultural lens which enables him to interrogate the past and present of the fusion between East and West.
Dapeng’s art is evocative and thought provoking. His practice is defined by an astute sense of perception and striking nuanced application of colour, composition and form. The contemporary landscape paintings are infused with traditional storytelling and marked by deep thinking, precision and subtle humour.
With a Bachelor of Arts degree followed by a MA by research degree, Dapeng spent three years working towards a PhD degree in art history at the University of Sydney with the support of an Australian Post Graduate Award. Dapeng’s research examined traditional Chinese art and culture as well as the modernisation of art in China. This insight has enabled Dapeng to critically engage with the subject of creation; exploring mountain-scapes and waters-capes, which lead to his over riding focus on the relationship between nature and humankind.
A three-times Archibald Prize finalist (2022, 2021, 2014), Dapeng’s highly commended piece Portrait of Yin Cao on blue-and-green landscape was among the top six shortlisted finalists of Archibald Prize 2014. He has also been a finalist in the Sir John Sulman Prize, the Salon des Refusés, Mosman Art Prize and KAAF Art Prize. His most recent solo exhibitions are Home of Wanderers, Otomys Melbourne (2024), Stillness Juxtaposed, Art Atrium Sydney (2023), and Dapeng Liu: Void, Western Sydney University (2022). His works are held in private and public collections in Australia and internationally.