[1] His father Fang Zicheng (方自成) was an elementary school teacher, and his mother Zhou Yunque (周云鹊) a housewife.
In 1954, Fang transferred to the academy's reestablished guohua department and studied traditional Chinese painting methods.
[2] Fang became a faculty member of the guohua department in 1955, and spent three months painting at the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang.
[3] The two young painters began to draw figures from daily life using traditional Chinese techniques, developing a distinctive style called the "Zhe(jiang) School" which greatly influenced modern guohua practices.
[5] In 1956, Fang's painting Every Grain Is Hard Work (粒粒皆辛苦) was exhibited in East Germany and appeared on the cover of an art journal in that country.
[2] In 1989, his painting Mother (母亲) won the silver medal at the 7th National Art Exhibition and the Qi Baishi Prize.