AS part of Enlighten, the National Portrait Gallery will hold master classes with artist Jiawei Shen, perhaps best-known in Canberra for his portrait, commissioned by the NPG, of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark.

Shen will lead two, two-hour master classes for 20 people on consecutive Friday nights (March 2 and March 9) during Enlighten.

Beginning with artists’ demonstrations, the hands-on classes will see Shen advice on technique, composition and feel.

Participants and artists can discuss about the nature of portraiture and where the artist’s practice sits within this tradition.

The classes will be on between 5.30 and 7.30pm the master classes will provide unique opportunities to work directly with and learn from leading Australian painters.

Jiawei Shen is one of Australia’s leading portrait artists, and was named by “The Weekend Australian” in  2005 as the first of 10 Chinese Australians to have made great contributions to the nation’s culture, academia and business.

Born in Shanghai in 1948, he was a celebrated realist history painter in the mid-1970s, later training at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.

His 1974 work, “Standing Guard for our Great Motherland” was singled out for praise by Madame Mao.

Among other important works which are all now in China’s National Art Gallery and National History Museum of China is the 11 metre canvas “Red Star over China” exhibited last year at The National Museum of Australia and which portrays more than a hundred actual people. In recent years he was commissioned to do a similar portrait of famous historical Malaysians.

Another large history painting is “At the Turn of Century” (1998) containing more than 100 important historic and contemporary Australians.

In 1989, Shen arrived in Australia to study English. To survive he drew sketch portraits of the tourists at Darling Harbour. Shen has been among the 30-odd finalists in the annual Archibald Prize 10 times, including being runner-up.

Among the significant portraits of an Australian is his 1994 work  “Mary MacKillop of Australia”, now held by a collector in Hong Kong.

Jiawei Shen masterclasses, at the National Portrait Gallery, 5.30pm-7.30pm,  March 2 and March 9. Cocktail reception with wine, non-alcoholic beverages and canapés included. Not suitable for children under 16.

Bookings to http://enlightencanberra.com.au/venues/national-portrait-gallery