作為一名創作生涯已超過二十年的資深藝術家，陳曦從80年代初進入川美附中學習繪畫，到90年代初從央美油畫系畢業成為獨立創作者，再到如今又附加了藝術教育者的雙重身份。這一過程，恰好是中國改革開放打開國門後中國當代藝術一路高歌猛進的發展歷程。在此，她想以自己不同時期創作演變的經歷簡述，以及她對國內近三十年藝術主要發生狀況，尤其是近十年的新現象的個人有限的觀察描述，來作為一個被時代巨變的大潮裹狹中個體藝術家如何反應的例證，呈現給大家。
An established artist with over two decades of experience in the creative field, Chen Xi entered the Middle School of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute to learn painting in the early ’80s, graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts to become an independent artist in the ’90s, and now continues her work as an art educator. Her development coincidentally parallels China's period of reform and opening up to the outside world, which has brought profound growth in Chinese contemporary arts. Based on her exhibition at UMAG Chen Xi: So We Remember, she will present her personal creative evolution from different time periods, and her observations on Chinese contemporary art over the last 30 years, with a particular focus on how artists have reacted to new phenomena and dramatic changes over that time.
Resource Person
Born in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Chen Xi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Oil Painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
Overview
Towering frangipani and jackfruit trees, flowering shrubs, meandering paths set in manicured lawns, a tinkling fountain, bird song and the distant chanting of Buddhist nuns at prayer – an oasis of peace and tranquillity in the middle of Hong Kong. This is Hong Kong's Jewish Cemetery.
Surrounded now by high-rise apartment blocks, with the entrance flanked on either side by a Buddhist temple and its school, the Jewish Cemetery in Hong Kong is one of the few in the Far East that remains in its original 19th century location. A worn Hebrew dedication plaque set into the back wall translates:
For the souls who have departed this life for their Master in the holy community of Hong Kong, may G-d protect it. And this (land) is a gift of our mistress the Queen (Victoria), may G-d bless her, given with payment in full a sum of money that was necessary by David Sassoon in the year [615]. May he see offspring and have a long life.
Join Jewish community member Howard Elias as he takes us on a tour of this fascinating part of Hong Kong’s history. Howard will share the stories of some of the cemetery’s more notable residents, which includes members of the Kadoorie, Belilios, Sassoon, Odell and Weill families.
Dr. Joseph Ting has kindly agreed to accompany us on this visit and share some information on the Jewish Cemetery.
After the exhibition of her Embroidered Identities 2 years ago, Lee Mei Yin is going to share with us again her collection of robes and gowns (Manchurian & Han) with their matching accessories for women and men and even children in the period of late Qing to Republic of China.
清末及民國服飾的分享
繼兩年前中國民族服裝展覽後，李美賢女士再與我們分享她的藏品，李女士將以清
末(滿族及漢族)至民國的男、女和小童的衣袍，展示與講解其式樣和部分配飾；同時也展示一些未成衣的衣料。
Speaker
Collector Lee Mei-yin (李美賢) is a special research Fellow of the Dunhuang Academy and an advisor to the HK Institute for the promotion of Chinese Culture. She has conducted in-depth research on Chinese ethnic culture, Buddhist art and Chinese embroidery for many years.
The HKU Museum Society is delighted to once again welcome collectors Bernard and Shirley Kinsey who will take us on a personal tour of their incredible collection.
The exhibition, Rising above Adversity: Treasures from The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection, includes over 120 items that range from paintings and sculptures to rare first editions and manuscripts, letters and official records that testify to the courage and hope of African Americans rising above the challenges they faced – and still face – to make their voices heard.
Resource Person
Bernard W. Kinsey is the president and founder of KBK Enterprises, Inc., a management consulting firm with extensive experience and success providing advice and counsel to senior-level executives. Kinsey also enjoyed a 20-year association with the Xerox Corporation and was one of the pioneers in breaking down racial barriers in corporate America.
For the past 7 years, Bernard Kinsey and his wife Shirley have focused their attention on The Kinsey Collection, their national touring museum exhibit of African American art and history dating back to 1600. The collection has been viewed by over 3 million visitors, was on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC and is currently on national tour in a partnership with Wells Fargo.
Mr. Kinsey received his bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M University (FAMU) and his MBA from Pepperdine in 1973. He has received honorary doctorates from both FAMU and Alabama A&M University.
Wong How Man will open the doors of the China Exploration and Research Society’s 1939 era Exhibit House. Built by the former Shek O Village Chief, Wong will take the group through some of CERS’ select exhibits. He will also share the history and heritage of Shek O, from the time before the British’s arrival in HK. This will be followed by a guided walk exploring Shek O Village, from its early temples to the Headland and beyond, looking across the back beach to the Shek O Country Club and the “Taipan” houses where some of HK’s tycoons live adjacent to a wonderfully diverse variety of village buildings that are at times considered squatter houses. Visit will conclude with an optional lunch at a nearby Thai Restaurant.
Resource Person
Wong How Man is the Founder and President of the China Exploration & Research Society (CERS). Born and raised in Hong Kong, and educated in the United States in Journalism and Art, Wong’s career in China began in 1974, first as a journalist during the tail end of the Cultural Revolution, later as an explorer/ writer/ photographer for the National Geographic, and since 1986 as head of the non-profit organization CERS.
He has led many multi-disciplinary expeditions first for the National Geographic and later for CERS. He has been credited with, among other accomplishments, the discovery of a new source for the Yangtze River. In 2002 Time Magazine chose Wong as one of its 25 Asian Heroes, calling Wong “China’s most accomplished living explorer.” He has also received many awards for his books and the conservation projects he conceived and directed. Supported by governments, foundations, individuals and corporations, his work has been disseminated widely by major international media, including Discovery Channel, BBC, CNN, National Geographic, ABC, CNBC, CCTV, etc.
Restrained Lustre: Chinese Jades from the Cissy and Robert Tang Collection
The exhibition features 109 Chinese jades from the Cissy and Robert Tang collection, spanning from Neolithic times to late Qing period, focuses especially upon personal ornaments, human-like sculptures and literati accoutrements. This special exhibition not only highlights the collector’s taste and preference for Chinese ancient jades, but also illustrates a vivid relationship between jade and humans who used it to express their spiritual beliefs, social values and personal sentiments over thousands of years. The exhibits are showcased alongside Chinese furniture, paintings and calligraphy from the same collection, attempting to evoke a quiet and contemplative space in which traditional Chinese literati enjoy their acquisitions alone or with like-minded friends.
Heavenly Crafted: Mughal Jades from the Palace Museum
We will also see the 40 extraordinary pieces of Mughal jades on loan from the Palace Museum in Beijing. This will be the first special exhibition on the subject to be held in Hong Kong and Mainland China, with most of the pieces exhibited for the first time.
The exhibition aims to reveal the artistic achievement of Mughal jades, their origins and mutual influences with the art of jade-carving in Central Asia as well as China, and the characteristics of Qing dynasty jades in the Mughal style.
Resource Person
Dr. Xu Xiaodong worked as keeper and researcher at the Palace Museum, Beijing from 2007-2013. Her research interests include history of Chinese jade, gold and silver, amber, imperial arts of the Ming and Qing dynasties and artistic interactions between ancient China and the West. She is currently Associate Director of the Art Museum, Associate Professor (by courtesy) of the Fine Arts Department, the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Founded in 1368, the Ming dynasty spanned a period of 276 years during which 16 emperors ascended the throne. It was the last unified and centralised dynasty ruled by the Han Chinese after the Tang and the Song dynasties. Ming culture was resplendent and multifarious. The dynasty saw the peak of traditional cultural development as well as the gradual sprouting of new cultures. Productivity surpassed that of the Song and the Yuan times, and commodity economy enjoyed unprecedented prosperity, pushing the progress of folk culture and the standard of artistic creation to new heights. Furthermore, frequent communications between Ming China and foreign countries brought about the import of foreign culture, subsequently unfolding a brand new scenario in the social development of the time.
This exhibition made possible by the generous support of individual members of the Min Chiu Society features around 300 sets of items from their precious collections. They include porcelains, lacquers, cloisonné enamels, jades, textiles, furniture, gold and silver wares, paintings, calligraphies, scholar's objects, recreational objects and religious figures. It is hoped that these exhibits will guide the audience through the history and culture of the Ming dynasty from fresh and diverse perspectives. Among the highlights of the exhibits are imperial porcelains and lacquers, porcelains and gilt metal wares with strong Arabic flavour and multifarious religious characteristics, succinctly shaped Ming-style furniture, magnificent textiles, exquisite openwork jade belt plaques, paintings and calligraphies of the ‘Four Literary Masters of the Wuzhong Region (Suzhou)̛, and scholar objects epitomising the taste of the literati.
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We are delighted to present this special guided tour with fellow member and collector contributing to this exhibition, Anthony K.W. Cheung. He is a member of the prestigious Min Chiu Society and a renowned collector of Chinese art focusing on Ming and Qing imperial ceramics. The Huaihaitang Collection was started in the early 1980s when Anthony came across several important porcelain collections at local auctions and exhibitions. An entrepreneur-cum-collector, Anthony is also an accomplished scholar of Art. His unique connoisseurship is revealed in his extensive collections of imperial Chinese porcelain from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Anthony has supported university and public art museums in Hong Kong through numerous donations and loaned exhibits.
Julia Tao, daughter of painter Tao Wan will guide us through the exhibition of her father’s works at UMAG. The exhibition highlights about thirty selected paintings by the artist as well as over twenty name, leisure and studio seals by professional seal carvers, Tao’s painter friends and students from Canton and Hong Kong.
This will be followed by demonstrations by Master Tao's students Y.F. Chan 陳燿煇 and K.H. Kwong 鄺啟慶, who will demonstrate Tao's ink paint work and style.
UMAG Director Dr. Florian Knothe is leading a special tour for our members to view two new exhibitions at the University Museum and Art Gallery. Erich Lessing: The Pulse of Time–Capturing Social Change in Post-war Europe shows the work of renowned Austrian photo journalist and Magnum photographer Erich Lessing. Illustrious Illuminations: Christian Manuscripts from the High Gothic to the High Renaissance (1250–1500) displays rare illuminated manuscripts from the McCarthy Collection. These religious manuscripts, laboriously painted by hand, are being shown for the first time in Hong Kong.
Resource Person
A scholar of Western European art, Dr. Florian Knothe received his PhD in royal manufacture and the production of art and propaganda in 17th century France. His prior positions include: research fellow and associate in European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, curator of European glass at The Corning Museum of Glass, where he led the East Meets West exhibition in 2010, and related lectures and conference papers presented in the US, Europe, Asia and Africa. In his role as Director, Dr. Knothe aims to connect UMAG internationally so that future collection-oriented research and programming reflect the university’s unique geographic and cultural position between East and West.
Continuing our tradition of beginning each year with an outdoor event to marvel at the beauty of Mother Nature, we begin with a boat trip to Plover Cove and the surrounding areas. We leave from Ma Liu Shui Pier and ride towards Harbour Island and make a stop on the east dam of Plover Cove for a panoramic view of the Plover Cove reservoir. At the second stop at Lai Chi Chong, fabulous art works are displayed in the natural rock formations. A simple seafood lunch will be arranged on Tap Mun after which we will take a leisurely stroll. The boat will cruise along Port Island to view the recently discovered Skulls Island at close distance. Group will return to Ma Liu Shui Pier by 5 pm.
In case of adverse weather conditions or unfavourably high winds, we may have to modify or cancel the trip at the leader’s discretion.
Resource Person
We are very privileged to have Professor Chan Lung-sang (陳龍生教授) as the leader of the trip. Professor Chan is professor in Earth Sciences at the University of Hong Kong as well as College Principal of HKU SPACE Community College and HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Community College. He received his doctorate degree in geology from the University of California, Berkeley and is arguably the first Hong Kong native to receive formal training in geology. His research interests include tectonics of South China and Hong Kong, earthquake geology and applied geophysics. He is devoted to promoting Earth Science education, and has led field trips to South China, Tibet, Taiwan, North America, Australia, Italy, Cyprus, the Arctic region and Antarctica for students.
