Bernice Bing
| Bernice Bing | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1936 San Francisco, California |
| Died | 1998 Philo, California |
| Nationality | Chinese American |
| Education | Studied with Richard Diebenkorn, Nathan Oliveira, Elmer Bischoff, Clyfford Still, Frank Lobdell |
| Alma mater | California College of Arts and Crafts, California School of Fine Arts |
| Known for | Oil painting |
| Movement | Abstractionism |
Bernice Bing (1936–1998) was a Chinese American lesbian artist involved in the San Francisco Bay Area art scene in the 1960s. She was known for her interest in the Beats and Zen Buddhism, and for "calligraphy-inspired abstraction" in her paintings, which she adopted after studying with Saburo Hasegara.
Bernice Bing, given the nickname “Bingo” as a child, was born in San Francisco, California's Chinatown in 1936. Bing's father was an immigrant from Southern China while her mother was born in America.
When Bing was six, her mother died due to a heart ailment, leaving Bing with limited exposure to her traditional Chinese heritage. Raised in numerous Caucasian foster homes with her sister, Bing also lived in the Ming Quong Home, a girls' custodial home in Oakland's Chinatown, for some time. Bing occasionally stayed in Oakland with her grandmother, whose praises fostered Bing's interest in art. As a rebellious child who did not do well academically, Bing turned to drawing, which helped her to stay connected.
Bing was involved in the arts throughout high school, winning several local and regional art contests. After graduating from Oakland Technical High School in 1955, she briefly attended the California College of Arts and Crafts (CCAC) initially as an advertising major, then later as a painting one. During her time there, Bing was instructed by Nathan Oliveira (1928-2010), Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993), and Saburo Hasegawa (1906-1957), who especially made an impact on Bing. A Japanese-born painter, Hasegawa introduced Bing to Zen Buddhism, Chinese philosophers, including Lao Tzu and Po Chu-i, and traditional calligraphy. Her encounter with Hasegawa also incited her to start thinking of her identiy as an Asian woman.
In 1958, after one semester in CCAC, Bing transferred to the California School of Fine Arts (now known as the San Francisco Art Institute). There, she studied with Elmer Bischoff and Frank Lobdell and eventually earned a B.F.A. with honors in 1959 followed by an M.F.A. in 1961. To support herself as a student, Bing also maintained a studio in North Beach above the Old Spaghetti Factory, a popular artist hangout.
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