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The opening ceremony of the "Reminiscences of Hong Kong by the Brush: A Celebration of the 100th Birthday of Professor Jao Tsung-i" exhibition was held at the Hong Kong Central Library today (December 3), to mark the centenary of the birth of sinologist Professor Jao Tsung-i.
Professor Jao and other officiating guests officiated at the ceremony. They included the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, and his wife, Mrs Regina Leung; the Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Mr Tung Chee Hwa; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Ms Yin Xiaojing; the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam; the Director of the Palace Museum, Dr Shan Jixiang; the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li; the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Peter Mathieson; the Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee, Mr Weng Weijun; the Director of the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole of the University of Hong Kong, Professor C F Lee; the Founding Presidents of the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole Fan Club, Mr Chan Wai-nam and Dr Simon Suen; and the presidents of the Fan Club.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, Mrs Lam said Professor Jao has a deep connection with Hong Kong. He is an erudite and respectful scholar in both research and fine arts. The HKSAR Government is honoured to present this exhibition during Professor Jao's 100th birthday, to show his achievements over the years. The exhibition is entitled "Reminiscences of Hong Kong by the Brush", not just because most exhibits are paintings of Hong Kong, but also to celebrate the subtle bond between Professor Jao and Hong Kong for nearly eight decades.
The exhibition, featuring over 100 selected works by Professor Jao, is the largest and most wide-ranging one on Professor Jao's work ever held in Hong Kong. It comprehensively demonstrates the academic and artistic achievements of Professor Jao in more than 80 years, and shows recognition of his contribution to the research and promotion of traditional Chinese culture.
The contents of the exhibition can be divided into two main parts, namely Professor Jao's paintings of Hong Kong and his paintings and calligraphy in general. The academic exhibits comprise his own research projects, monographs, manuscripts and letters as well as research about Professor Jao by other academics. The artistic exhibits feature paintings from the 1950s to the present day, including line drawing of Dunhuang, Zen paintings, landscapes of the Northwestern School and lotus paintings. His calligraphy works in various scripts include oracle bone script, bronze script, bamboo and silk inscription, seal script, official script, regular script, running script and cursive script, as well as works after the styles of previous masters of the Jin, Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties.
Presented by the Home Affairs Bureau, the exhibition is jointly organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the University of Hong Kong, and in association with the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole of the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Art Promotion Office, the Hong Kong Public Libraries, the Seal Engravers' Society of Xiling and the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole Fan Club.
Professor Jao was born in Chaozhou in 1917. Being a world-renowned sinologist, he has been engaged in academic research and teaching for over 80 years with an extensive scope of research topics. He has also published more than 100 books on a variety of subjects, and over 1,000 papers have been released. He also created his own style of painting and calligraphy developed from internalising the essence of Chinese masterpieces. His artworks have been compiled into the series Collected Art Works of Jao Tsung-i and Collected Calligraphic Works of Jao Tsung-i.
The exhibition is being held at the Exhibition Gallery of Hong Kong Central Library until December 8. Admission is free.
For details of the exhibition, please visit the website at www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk/en_US/web/hm/exhibitions/data/exid232.html or call 2180 8188.
Ends/Thursday, December 3, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:15
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