Painter, 87, marries for 4th time to woman 50 years younger, announces birth of first 'biological son'
Before marrying Xu, Fan had been married three times. His second marriage resulted in the birth of his daughter, Fan Xiaohui, while his third marriage brought two stepchildren who later adopted his surname.
RENOWNED Chinese painter Fan Zeng, 87, has announced the arrival of his only biological son while at the same time publicly ending his relationship with his other children, once again bringing a long-standing family feud into the spotlight.
Widely regarded as a towering figure in contemporary Chinese art, Fan’s works have generated more than four billion yuan (US$567 million) at auctions between 2008 and 2024. More than 10 of his paintings have individually crossed the 10 million yuan mark, including a 1991 artwork that fetched 18.4 million yuan at a Beijing auction in 2011, according to a report by South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Beyond painting, Fan is also highly respected for his calligraphy, which commands prices of around 200,000 yuan (US$28,000) per 0.11 square metre. His pieces have been exhibited worldwide and continue to attract strong demand among collectors.
Marriage to a younger partner draws attention
Fan has remained in the public eye in recent years, particularly after marrying Xu Meng in April last year. Xu, who is 50 years younger than him, is a former China Traffic Broadcasting presenter and first met Fan while working as his assistant. Fan has previously credited her care and support with aiding his recovery from illness.
Complex family history
Before marrying Xu, Fan had been married three times. His second marriage resulted in the birth of his daughter, Fan Xiaohui, while his third marriage brought two stepchildren who later adopted his surname.
Birth announcement and family decision
On December 11, Fan announced the birth of his son with Xu and shared that the family had moved into a new residence. He also stated that Xu would handle all family-related affairs and confirmed that he had formally severed ties with his other children.
Fan further cancelled all permissions and agreements previously granted to them, warning that they are no longer allowed to use his name in any future endeavours.
Strained relations within the family have been visible for some time. In August, Fan Xiaohui claimed she was unable to reach her father and alleged that Xu was exerting control over him. She also accused Xu of secretly selling Fan’s artworks valued at approximately 2 billion yuan (US$280 million). These allegations were later rejected by Fan’s company, which described them as baseless.
