A new seal created by a new friend

Written By Laura Beaton

My New Seal Carved by Phillip Xu

LauWa - Translation: Laura (Working Baby)

A few months ago I met a wonderful gentleman by the name of Phillip Xu. We started chatting about Chinese Art, China, and our mutual love of Kochuchang Chicken (my recipe was courtesy of Chef Lynn Crawford). The rest, as they say, is history.

Phillip is not only a Master Chinese Brush Painter, but a Master Stone Carver of chops - used to generate the red seal on Chinese art. Phillip Xu recently created 108 chops/seals for the Beijing Olympics and he is also an Artistic Director on many movies made in China.

Phillip (commonly known as ‘Stone Man’) generously agreed to create a new chop for my painting, ‘Road to Golden Mountain’ for the Asian Arts and Culture Trust exhibition in May 2022. When we met to hand over the new chop (and of course we met at a Tim Hortons’), we discovered that the stone for the chop was purchased when he was in Beizhen. That was one of the cities where I exhibited in 2018 and it is such a lovely area in the NE region of China.

In Chinese, my name is Lau Wa, translated to working baby. It means I was born working and I will die working (my friends laughed when I asked about the ‘retirement’ issue).

This seal is a horizontal design, right side is Lau and the left side is Wa.

The character of this style is rooted/based on the ancient style in Qin dynasty  (B.C. 230- B.C. 215 +-) which most of the seal carvers use as the standard.

Phillip Xu and Laura Beaton

Phillip Xu gifting Laura with a copy of his book of seals

Laura Beaton

I am a Toronto-born, international award-winning visual fine artist whose work fuses the traditions of Sumi-e, Chinese Brush Painting, and Western mixed media. Through my art, I explore and celebrate the differences and similarities among cultures—particularly Japanese, Chinese, and North American.

Though my roots are in Scottish bagpipes and English tea, a chance encounter with a Chinese brush painting on an antique tea wagon sparked a lifelong artistic journey. That early moment ignited a creative curiosity that led me to explore what it truly means to live, and create, in a multicultural society.

My art honours centuries-old techniques while looking to the future. I transform inks, rice papers, and layered textures into serene, imaginary worlds that are contemporary, yet grounded in tradition. Each piece whispers a quiet declaration: “I Am Canadian.”

Highlights of my career include:

• Election to both the Society of Canadian Artists and the Federation of Canadian Artists

• Multiple national and international awards, including Japan

• Serving as North American President for the International Chinese Calligraphy and Ink Painting Society, representing artists from eight countries

• Exhibiting in China, with my work held in the permanent collection of the Chinese government

As a non-Asian artist mastering the philosophies and aesthetics of traditional Japanese and Chinese ink art while infusing Canadian narratives, I aim to reimagine tradition, transcend borders, and create space for new perspectives. My practice is a re-wilding of the social graces and an invitation to connect.

https://LauraBeaton.com
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Road to golden mountain
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preparing for asian arts and culture - may 2022