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A spokesman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said today (June 29) that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) had, via the Director of the Office of the Government of the HKSAR of the People's Republic of China in Beijing, sent letters of condolence to Mr Wu Guanzhong's family, expressing their deep grief over the death of the respected master of Chinese painting.
Mr Wu devoted his life to art and made selfless donations of his works to museums worldwide, including the Hong Kong Museum of Art, which has received Mr Wu's generous donations on four occasions, including the latest donation of five ink paintings received last Thursday (June 24). The five paintings comprise new works created in 2010, namely, "At Rest", "Illusion", "Awakening" and "Nest", and a work, titled "Faces Unchanged", created in 2001.
To pay tribute to the late artist, the five paintings will be put on display from Thursday (July 1) at the exhibition, "Loft Integrity: Donation of Works by Wu Guanzhong", currently held at the Museum of Art. Including the latest donation, the exhibition, which will run until August 29, features a total of 52 precious works donated by Mr Wu over the years.
Meanwhile, a condolence book has been placed at the gallery of the Museum of Art to offer visitors an opportunity to express condolences in remembrance of Mr Wu.
A condolence lecture on Mr Wu to be conducted by the Curator (Xubaizhai) of the Museum of Art, Mr Szeto Yuen-kit, will be held at 2.30pm this Saturday (July 3). During the lecture, Mr Szeto will speak on the close relationship between Wu Guanzhong and Hong Kong and his extraordinary artistic achievements. Conducted in Cantonese, the lecture is free of charge on a first-come-first-served basis.
The Museum of Art is located at 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It opens from 10am to 6pm from Sunday to Wednesday and Fridays, and from 10am to 8pm on Saturdays. It is closed on Thursdays (except public holidays). Admission is $10 and a half-price concession is available for full-time students, senior citizens and people with disabilities. Admission is free on Wednesdays.
For enquiries, visit the Museum of Art's website hk.art.museum or call 2721 0116.
Ends/Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:31
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