According to TheirsFan drew widespread attention on social media after announcing on Dec. 11 that Xu had given birth, describing the newborn as his “only child.” He added that he feels “deeply blessed” to have a child with Xu and said the family of three will remain close and content for the rest of their lives.

Fan has said his relationship with Xu began after he suffered a mild stroke in 2021, which left him unable to continue his artistic work for a period of time. During his recovery, Xu cared for him devotedly, attending to his daily needs and helping him regain his physical and mental strength. Moved by her support, Fan said the two developed a deep spiritual connection and decided to commit to each other for life, publicly announcing their marriage in April 2024.

An acquaintance of Xu said Fan chose to marry her after being touched by her attentiveness and care. Xu is also said to understand Fan’s habits in painting and calligraphy and now effectively serves as his assistant. The source added that Xu leads a lavish lifestyle, having received a Ferrari car from Fan before their marriage and frequently using luxury goods, particularly Hermès handbags.

The couple previously lived in a Beijing villa, where Fan’s children from earlier marriages would occasionally visit him. Since the summer of this year, however, the couple has moved to a new residence, taking with them most of Fan’s assets, including paintings and calligraphic works.

According to Finance Ifengthe couple established a new company in early December, with Xu named as the legal representative and majority shareholder. Fan has announced that all matters to both his personal life and professional activities, including exhibitions and art- business, will henceforth be handled through the company. Xu has thus become the manager of her husband’s art brand and assets, valued at several billion yuan (1 billion yuan equals US$117.8 million).

A towering figure in contemporary Chinese art, Fan is widely regarded as the most valuable living painter in the country. National Business Daily reported that total auction sales of his works had surpassed 2.3 billion yuan as of 2024.

Fan’s works are held in overseas museums, including those in Japan and the U.K., and many have fetched record prices at auction. His paintings “Bamboo” and “Magpie” sold for more than 40 million yuan, while “Lingquan Daofeng” achieved 18.4 million yuan. Dozens of his other works have each sold for more than US$1 million.

Fan married his first wife, renowned poet and calligrapher Lin Hui, in 1963, but the couple divorced five years later. He later married fellow painter and former classmate Bian Baohua, before falling in love with Zhang Guiyun, the wife of a close friend, whom he married several years after her divorce.

He shares a daughter with Bian, while Zhang’s children from her previous marriage took his surname Fan after their mother married him. However, the painter has announced that he has severed ties with these children, accusing them of spreading false claims in August that he had been “kidnapped and had his assets seized” by Xu, allegations he said led to her being defamed.