Hong Kong Heritage Museum to feature close teacher-student relationship of Lingnan painting master Chao Shao-an and Chin Kee despite long distance (with photos)
The exhibition "From a Distance: Art Dialogues between Chao Shao-an and Chin Kee" will be held from tomorrow (September 21) at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM). Forty-five paintings including works by renowned master of the Lingnan school of painting Chao Shao-an (1905-1998) and assignments by Malaysian-Chinese painter Chin Kee (1929-2012), who was trained under Chao through correspondence in the 1950s and 1960s, are being showcased together for the first time. Visitors will be able to learn about Chao's teaching and painting skills and appreciate the unique characteristics and style of the Lingnan school's stylistic paintings.
Chao was an eminent artist of the Lingnan stylistic school as well as a dedicated and visionary educator. He founded the Lingnan Art Studio in Guangzhou and Hong Kong and trained young artists for more than 60 years, making him a painting master for numerous students. Being passionate about art, Chin held great admiration for Chao's artistic endowment. As he did not have a chance to study under Chao in Hong Kong, he chose to enrol in Chao's distance learning course in the 1950s and graduated from the Lingnan Art Studio in 1961. Although the duo had never met in person, Chin learned from his master by mailing painting assignments.
The exhibition is categorised into five sections – "Correspondence Course", "Flowers and Birds", "Insects", "Fruit and Vegetables" and "Figures and Animals". Through the questions and answers between Chao and Chin as well as demonstration drafts marked on the painting assignments on display, the exhibition gives visitors an overview of the contents of Chao's course, including the brushwork, colouring methods and painting steps. These precious materials documented Chao's teaching approach overseas and the way he promoted the art of the Lingnan school. Highlight exhibits include Chin's paintings "Magnolia and butterfly", "Egret", "Lychee", "Ixora" and "Tiger".
The exhibition is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and organised by the HKHM. The exhibition will run from tomorrow until August 27 next year at the HKHM (1 Man Lam Road, Sha Tin). For details of the exhibition and admission arrangements, please visit hk.heritage.museum/en_US/web/hm/exhibitions/data/exid273.html, or call 2180 8188 for enquiries.
To coincide with the exhibition, the HKHM will hold "Sharing Session: Studying Painting with Professor Chao Shao-an" at the 1/F Theatre from 2.30pm to 4.30pm on September 24 (Saturday). In the sharing session, Dr Susan Ho, who was a student of Chao, and the Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Mr Cheng Woon-tong, will share with the audience stories of Chao's enlightenment and precious moments with Chao during his years of teaching. The audience will learn how Chao overcame difficulties and strove hard to pass on the legacy of the Lingnan school of painting around the world. For details of the programme and admission arrangements, please visit www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk/en_US/web/hm/eventsactivities/programmes/distance.html.
In order to comply with the requirements stipulated in the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F) and relevant requirements of administrative instructions, visitors are required to scan the "LeaveHomeSafe" venue QR code with their mobile phones/other mobile devices before being allowed to enter the museum for necessary contact tracing if a confirmed case is found. In accordance with the Prevention and Control of Disease (Vaccine Pass) Regulation (Cap. 599L) and relevant requirements of administrative instructions, all persons entering indoor venues under the management of the LCSD must comply with the relevant requirements of the Vaccine Pass. According to the latest requirement on Vaccine Pass announced by the Government, all persons with their Vaccine Pass QR codes displayed in red or amber are not allowed to enter museums under the management of the LCSD.
