Media

The story of a Hong Kong painter told through paintings
“Nature in its harmonious forms: Paintings by Tao Wan”
at University Museum and Art Gallery

19 Jan 2016

(From left to right)

Mrs Yvonne Choi, Chairman of the HKU Museum Society

Dr Florian Knothe, Director of UMAG                               

Mr Luke Tao, Collection Donors

Ms Julia Tao, Collection Donors

Prof Yunwoon Lee, Museum Expert Adviser (Chinese Painting and Calligraphy) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)                        

Prof Wingwah Chan, JP, Deputy Director (Arts and Sciences), Head of Centre for Creative and Performing Arts, HKU SPACE

Mr Chan Yiu Fai, Representative of Wu Liu Art Studio

Dr Sarah Ng, Associate Curator of UMAG

Nature in its harmonious forms: Paintings by Tao Wan is a comprehensive selection of the artist’s creative output and artistic theories. The exhibition at the University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG) of the University of Hong Kong highlights objects from the recent acquisition of nearly three hundred works generously donated by Tao’s family, which include landscape paintings and seals.

An opening ceremony of the exhibition was held at UMAG today (January 19). Officiating guests included Professor Lee Yunwoon, Museum Expert Adviser (Chinese Painting and Calligraphy) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD); Professor Chan Wingwah, Deputy Director (Arts and Sciences), Head of Centre for Creative and Performing Arts, HKU SPACE; Mrs Yvonne Choi, Chairman of the HKU Museum Society; Collection Donors Ms Julia Tao and Mr Luke Tao; representative of Wu Liu Art Studio and Director of UMAG Dr Florian Knothe.

Tao Wan

Tao was renowned for his landscape paintings. The distinctive qualities of his artwork incorporated traditional styles rendered with an agitated, dry and ragged brush. One of his primary inspirations was to reinterpret the ancient masters, refining and including the essence of natural landscapes, so as to create a uniquely expressive style that illustrates his particular mindscape. He insisted on including elements from nature that reflect the following: “the mind always leads the brush” and “don’t be held back by sketches”. Tao was perceived as being a Chinese traditionalist, and was a major representative of the art of Cantonese Diaspora painting and its development in 20th century Hong Kong.

Tao moved to Hong Kong from Canton after 1949, which is where he began to develop his landscape paintings and critical theories of Chinese art. The current exhibition presents the evolution of Tao’s artistic style from the early 1950s to 2003. Over one hundred objects will be displayed, including paintings, calligraphy, seals, manuscripts, photographs and a video demonstrating his painting technique. The landscape paintings are categorised into Pursuing the Past, Essence of a Natural Landscape, Rhythm of a Mindscape, and Album Leaves. Many of the exhibits have never been shown in public, including his manuscript Theories on Chinese Painting, his calligraphy, paintings and seals. While the current exhibition illustrates the artistic development, achievements and contributions of Tao Wan, the broader collection, including historical documents, retells his entire life—a story that is familiar to many Hong Kong Cantonese refugee painters in the 20th century. These objects form a more complete and vivid picture of his oeuvre, and are essential for an understanding and analysis of the history of the global Cantonese Diaspora, and of the general history of Chinese art during this period.

Painting Demonstration
Time: 15:00 – 16:30
Venue: 1/F, Fung Ping Shan Building, UMAG, HKU, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam
(English) January 23, 2016 (Saturday)
(Cantonese) February 20, 2016 (Saturday)
For more information, please refer to the Painting Demonstration document.

Exhibition Details
Period: January 20 (Wednesday) to February 21, 2016 (Sunday)
Opening Hours:
09:30 – 18:00 (Monday to Saturday)
13:00 – 18:00 (Sunday)
Closed on University and Public Holidays
Venue: 2/F, Fung Ping Shan Building, UMAG, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam
Tel/Email: (852) 2241 5500 (General Enquiry) / museum@hku.hk
Admission: Free
Website: www.umag.hku.hk/en/

Connect with UMAG on social media:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/umag.hku
Instagram: #TaoWanHKPainter
Twitter: http://twitter.com/UMAG_HKU
Weibo: http://www.weibo.com/5411839295/profile?topnav=1&wvr=6

About University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong (UMAG)
UMAG was founded in 1953 as the Fung Ping Shan Museum. It was originally established as the Fung Ping Shan Library in 1932 in honour of its benefactor. For more information on UMAG, please refer to the UMAG document.

Media enquiries:
UMAG Communications Officer Miss Elena Cheung, Tel: (852) 2241 5512, Email: elenac@hku.hk  

Nestled in the Woods

1988
135.1 cm x 66 cm

Layered Peaks and Trees

32.5 cm x 21.5 cm