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No matter what you want to accomplish, a strong belief in yourself and hard working towards the goal are the keys to succeed. Chan Hoi-ying's devotion in artistic creation and art education for almost 70 years, has earned him extensive recognition locally and overseas. With his endeavours in art, Chan has made remarkable achievements both in painting and nurturing of budding artists. To pay homage to this senior artist, the Hong Kong Museum of Art (Museum of Art) has organised an exhibition to feature Chan's works of art.
Entitled "An Unyielding Voyage in Art - Hong Kong Artists Series III: Chan Hoi-ying", the exhibition is one of the programmes of the Hong Kong Artists Series organised by the Museum of Art. Running from tomorrow (February 1) till March 31, the exhibition attempts to encapsulate the development of Chan's artistic career through a selection of over 50 representative works of oil, watercolour and sketches created from the 1940s to the present. His achievements in art education will also be featured in the exhibition.
Born in Hong Kong in 1918, Chan was fond of painting in his childhood. At 17, he studied under the renowned artist Li Tiefu (1869 - 1952), who was a follower of the famous American painters John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925) and William Merritt Chase (1849 - 1916). From these masters, Chan has inherited their techniques yet developed a style of his own.
Other than paintings of landscape and still-life, Chan especially excels in portraits. His earlier works are atmospheric and imbued with a strong presence of classicism. Later, Impressionist approach found the way into Chan's work. Colours are then brightened up and brushstrokes become broader and more spontaneous. A certain lightheartedness has replaced the earlier somber mood.
Chan is serious in the approach and treatment of his subjects that he portraits. Before picking up his brush, he would spend many sessions of conversation lasting for hours talking to his subject to gain a familiarity and understanding of his subject's physical appearance, mannerism and nuances of his emotional and mental facilities that make up the overall personality. The refined sensibilities and emotive evocation of his portrait paintings won him high regards from spectators and patrons alike. In 1994, the International Competition by the American Society of Portrait Artists honored him as one of the top three portrait artists.
He is also a fervent practitioner as well as an avid promoter of art. The Hong Kong Academy of Fine Arts, which he founded in 1952, has been a nurturing ground for many artists in Hong Kong. He lectures extensively on the subject of his art as well as art education locally and overseas. As a guest lecturer, he had been received at major institutions in the United States including Columbia University, Boston University, Minnesota State University, the Art Institute of Chicago, etc.
The Museum of Art is located at 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. It opens from 10 am to 6 pm daily and closes on Thursdays, except public holidays, and the first two days of the Chinese New Year. On the Chinese New Year's Eve, the Museum of Art will close at 5 pm. Admission fee is $10 and half-price concession is applicable to full-time students, senior citizens and people with disabilities. Admission is free on Wednesdays.
For details, please call 2721 0116 or visit the Museum of Art's website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/hkma/.
End/Thursday, January 31, 2002
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