THE EVOLUTION OF HK ART OF NATURE INTERNATIONAL FEMINIST ART RESEARCH

SOCIETY

(FROM MY PROPOSAL OF ESTABLISHING THE RESEARCH SOCIETY IN 2011 TO A JOINT EXHIBITION

IN 2015)

Miss Cissy Cheung Chu-yu (Right 3), President of Art Of Nature International Company Limited, and Miss. Cho Yeou-jui (Right 4), Former Assistant Professor of HKBU Academy of Visual Arts,

took a photo together at "HER PRESENCE IN COLOURS XI: International Women Artists Association - Mongolia" exhibition at Mongolian National Art Gallery Ulaanbaatar on 25 July 2014

Lee Kwun Leung Vincent (李冠良)Academic Qualifications:GRADE A in HKCEE ART (2003) & HKALE ART (2005)BA VISUAL ARTS (HKBU), MSSc. CONTEMPORARY CHINA STUDIES (HKBU)

PART 1: The Role of Hong Kong Female Artists in the New Era of Global Culture and ConsciousnessPART 2: Cissy Cheung promotes the Chinese-ink masterpieces created by Mrs. Anson Chan's motherPART 3: Infinite Love – 1st Hong Kong International Female Contemporary Art Exhibition

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The Role of Hong Kong Female Artists in the New Era of Global

Culture and Consciousness

Author: Vincent LEE Kwun-leung (李冠良)

“An Ox From China”, Printmaking by Liu Siu-jane

Today, as one of the guest-speakers in the International Women Art Conference in conjunction with “HER PRESENCE IN COLOURS – Asian / International Women Artists Exhibition Series – Vietnam 2012”, it is my honor to present my courteous views concerning an observation towards the development of Feminist Art in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is historically renowned as an international metropolitan with Sino-Western cultural coexistence, and women showcase a very high level of participation in the development of our society. In the profession of fine arts, it is obviously seen that women possess a more advantageous role in managements, project co-ordinations, aesthetic judgments and marketing exploitations. While you are making a visit to Wellington Street, Soho District and Hollywood Street in Central, or the contemporary-art gallery zone called “ART ONE” near Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in Wanchai, you can notice that lots of gallery founders, curators and administrators are women. They are sophisticated with the manners of public relations. Their sensitivity towards the management of

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personnel networks is exceptionally ingenious, which enables them to efficiently communicate with the art collectors. Moreover, “Sotheby’s” and “Christies Hong Kong”, the two uppermost auction companies in Hong Kong, regularly employ a number of female elites who possess comprehensive knowledge in fine-art connoisseurship. These female elites can accommodate the missions of rendering the exchange affairs for the masterpieces and precious collections from China and Overseas.

In the aspect of creativity, there’s no doubt that women have a higher perceptibility in literatures, histories and psychologies. They can easily cultivate a romantic kind of sentiments for creating art pieces that correspond with the aesthetic sides of their innermost beings, and this is regarded as a wholesome channel for delivering a universal message of benevolence. Taking an example of the art district in Fo Tan, several young female artists who graduated from Department of Fine Arts at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, namely Lai Kwan-ting, Castaly Leung, Au Hoi-lam and so forth, tend to make reference on the trivial scenes of our daily lives, integrate their creative approaches with their “perceptual experiences”, and develop their individualized Western paintings with both realistic and imaginative contexts. Despite of being influenced by the information technology and trendy cultures, these young female artists deeply remember the “New Asia Spirit” (i.e. the spirit of “Neo-Confucian Culture”) advocated by Master Qian Mu. Due to the persistence on such spirit, they endeavor to highlight the spirit of Oriental ethic and humanism from their expressionistic contexts in contemporary-art pursuits.

In recent years, a group of professional women, who have been equipped with tremendous experiences and strong capabilities in monitoring the commercial affairs, choose to apply for taught-based Master of Arts Degrees in Contemporary Arts and Cultural Managements in CUHK Department of Fine Arts and other academic institutes. This enables them to obtain a certified qualification in art-related professions. Thus, they can establish their independent galleries and transform creative industries as an alternative source of revenues. Since 2010, the local community of Hong Kong began with a trend of “art-jamming” industries. This facilitates a popularization of painting leisure among the professional ladies of the younger generation. After their toughest working period on weekdays, these ladies can search for spiritual relaxation through painting. Moreover, the art-jamming studios are a kind of liberal platforms for these ladies to build up friendship among themselves by sharing the same sort of cultural interests. This phenomenon proves that, the number of women, who care for and participate in the development of artistic ecology, is further increasing.

In academia, Prof. Jenny So Fong-suk and Prof. Kao Mayching have been serving as devoted educators in Department of Fine Arts at The Chinese University of Hong Kong for a number of years. Both Professors possess prominent qualifications in overseas researches and scholastic publications. They have macro-viewed academic knowledge due to their sophistication

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towards Chinese and Western publications. Bearing in mind with the vision of Chinese aesthetic inheritance, Prof. So and Prof. Kao put much effort to foster youngsters’ temperaments in the appreciation of traditional Chinese calligraphies, paintings, porcelains and utensils. On the other hand, Prof. Eva Man Kit-wah, Ms. Cho Yeou-jui, Dr. Leung Mee-ping, Ms. Annie Wan and Ms. Sunny Wang bear in mind with an important mission of expanding the creative education during their teaching services in Academy of Visual Arts at Hong Kong Baptist University. They jointly foster youngsters with independent abilities in conducting studio-art projects, together with ingenious eyesight in pursuing researches on local cultural issues.

“The Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Awards” (HKCABA), which is organized by Hong Kong Museum of Art from Leisure & Cultural Services Department, also acknowledges the female artists who show activeness in local art affairs, contribute much to the atmosphere of local visual-art education, and explore stylistic breakthroughs with courage. The female awardees, who leave Hong Kong citizens a remarkable impression, include: Man Fung-yee, Tsui Chung-mei, Ho Sze-man, Tse Suk-ting and so forth. These female artists invent new visual languages that cover the aspects of cross-mediums, styles and concepts. They contribute new chapters for the art history in Hong Kong. The chapters, which are related to the creative fruits of these aforesaid female artists, would be worth-noted for academic references in the latter generations. Moreover, the HKSAR Government stresses the promotion of community art and public art, together with a mission of providing widespread citizens with professional art facilities and creative trainings. The Hong Kong Art Promotion Office is a very good example, as this Office regularly organizes “Art Specialist Courses” at Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre. Some courses, such as Printmaking, is taught by Ms. Liu Siu-jane, a female artist who obtained Urban Council Art Award in “The Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Awards 1985”.

To conclude, Feminism is regarded as one of the important sessions in the entire historical sequence of local art development in Hong Kong. The female art enthusiasts have been making numerous contributions through a dedication to the community affairs, an active participation in the beautification of public spaces, and a construction of wholesome communication channels among citizens, art societies and the Government. It is hoped that, more and more female artists in Hong Kong can have their art pieces being valued by the global art scene, as well as feeling pleasant to spread the spirits of gender equality among widespread art lovers.

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Sculptures by Man Fung-yee

今天，我很榮幸能在《她的色彩空間系列 X．世界女藝術家聯展．越南 2012》之國際女性藝術論壇期間，就著我所屬的地方香港所觀察到的女性藝術發展，發表一點看法。香港向來都是一個中西文化混合的國際大都會，女性對社會發展的參與程度相對挺高。在藝術的範疇上，尤見女性的管理、統籌、審美和市場開拓能力甚為優勝，當您們到中環威靈頓街、蘇豪區、荷里活道走一趟，以及參觀一下靠近香港會議展覽中心的「ART ONE」當代畫廊特區，您會很易發現，許多畫廊創辦人、策展人、行政人員，均是以女性為主，她們擅於把公關學，對人際關係網絡的管理有相當高的敏銳度，並精於與收藏家溝通的學問。然而，香港兩大頂尖的拍賣公司，包括蘇富比及嘉士德，均聘用很多對鑒賞學問有宏觀研究的女性精英，承擔中外名畫和瑰寶的交易事務。創作方面，由於女性對文學、歷史、心理學的涵攝能力很高，她們易於培養浪漫的情感，塑造合乎唯美心性的作品，表達真善美的普世訊息。就以火炭藝術邨為例，數位於香港中文大學藝術系畢業的年青女性藝術家，如賴筠婷、梁靜雯、區凱琳等，均參考日常生活中的瑣碎事物，再結合她的感知經驗，描繪出具個性化的具像或意象繪畫。縱使她們受著資訊科技和潮流文化的影響，但仍銘記著以前輩學者錢穆先生為倡導的「新亞精神」（亦即是「新儒家文化」的精神），在當代藝術的表現力上，突顯港人重東方倫理和人文精神的美德。另外，近年來一群專業女性，她們本身已有運作商界的豐富經驗和才能，乃選擇在業餘時間，到香港中文大學藝術系及其他專上院校，兼讀當代文化藝術管理的碩士課程，藉此獲得策展的執業資格，創辦獨立的畫廊，令文化產業成為她們主業以外的另一股收益泉源。自 2010 年起，香港民間開始流行自助畫室產業（art-

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jamming），享受繪畫樂趣的人，普及至年輕一輩的在職女士，讓她們在一週辛勞的工作壓力後，以繪畫來舒緩心靈，並在畫室內結交具共同文化嗜好的好朋友。可見，香港本地關注和參與藝術生態發展的女性，數目正不斷增加。學術界方面，蘇芳淑教授及高美慶教授，多年來在香港中文大學藝術系任教中國美術史科目，她們具海外研究和發表學術出版著作的豐碩資歷，學識淵博，貫通中西典籍，致力地培育年輕一輩欣賞傳統中國書畫、陶瓷和器物的素養，把中國美學薪火相傳。另外，文潔華教授、卓有瑞女士、梁美萍博士、尹麗娟女士、王鈴蓁女士等，在香港浸會大學視覺藝術院擔當拓展創意文化教育的重任，培育下一代的年青人，具獨立策劃創作事業的本能，也具本土文化研究的視野。由康樂及文化事務署香港藝術館舉辦的「香港當代藝術雙年獎」，亦對一些活躍於香港藝壇事務、對本地視藝教育氛圍作出貢獻、敢於突破的女性藝術家，表示嘉許，最令港人記得的雙年展得獎者有：文鳳儀、徐松薇、何詩敏、謝淑婷等；她們研發了一些跨媒介上、風格上、概念上的新穎視覺語言，為香港藝術史寫下具後世學術參考價值的新章節。另外，香港特別行政區政府亦很著重推廣社群藝術和公共藝術，為廣大市民提供專業視覺藝術設施與培訓，如藝術推廣辦事處，會在位於香港公園的香港視覺藝術中心內，舉辦藝術專修課程，當中一些課程，如版畫，是由曾於「當代香港藝術雙年展 1985」中獲得市政局藝術獎的廖少珍女士執教。總括而言，女性主義在香港本地藝術發展史上，佔著很重要的一環，女性藝術工作者對社群的投入，對公共空間美化事務的參與，對為市民、藝術團體及政府三者之間構建溝通橋樑的工作，均作出不遺餘力的貢獻，盼望往後更多香港女性藝術家，作品得到世界藝壇的器重，並向世界各地熱愛文化藝術的人民，傳揚男女平等的愛德精神。

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Ceramics by Annie Wan

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“Stone Wall”, Acrylic Painting by Cho Yeou-jui

Mixed-Media Paintings by Castaly Leung

[* SITUATION: The International Women Art Conference in conjunction with “HER PRESENCE IN COLOURS – ASIAN /

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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN ARTISTS EXHIBITION SERIES – VIETNAM 2012” will be held at HCMC Fine Art University on 25 June 2012. This Conference is jointly organized by International Women Artists Council, INWAA-Vietnam and Women Artists Club, HCMC Fine Art Association and HCMC Fine Art University. Miss. Cissy Cheung Chu-yu, President of the Art Of Nature International Company Limited, is invited to attend this Conference as one of the Guest-Speakers. I write a speech for Miss. Cheung according to my comprehensive analysis on the development of Feminist Art in Hong Kong. ]

Cissy Cheung promotes the Chinese-ink masterpieces created by Mrs. Anson Chan's

mother

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(Photo 1 - 3) Chinese paintings by Fang Zhaolin(Photo 4) Fang Zhaolin as an apprentice of Master Zhang Daqian

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(Photo 5) Mrs. Anson Chan, Former Chief Secretary of both the British Hong Kong Government and the HKSAR Government, is Fang Zhaolin’s daughter

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(Photo 6 - 7) The Art of Nature organized a charity selling exhibition specializing in the promotion of Fang Zhaolin’s Chinese paintings

(Photo 8) Miss Cissy Cheung Chu-yu, President of Art Of Nature International Company Limited

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Miss. Cissy Cheung Chu-yu, President of the Art Of Nature International Company Limited, recently raised an idea of promoting some Modern Chinese-ink masters whom contributed much to the development of Lingnan Fine Arts in the 20th century.

This Charity Selling Exhibition includes Mrs. Anson Chan's mother, called Fang Zhaolin. Mrs. Anson Chan has ever served as the Chief Secretary of both the British colonial government and the HKSAR Government. She has ever worked under the supervision of Lord Chris Patten and Tung Chee-hwa. After her retirement, Mrs. Anson Chan becomes an active avant-garde in promoting the democracy of Hong Kong, especially for the genuine Universal Suffrage.

Mrs. Anson Chan's mother was a renowned Chinese painter who received apprenticeship from both Zhao Shaoan and Zhang Daqian. She was a Shanghaiese, whereas his father was an entrepreneur of textile and weaving industries in Jiangsu Province. Apart from concreted Chinese-ink practices, Mrs. Anson Chan's mother learnt Sinology from Jao Jung-yi for enriching her literary sentiments.

From Fang Zhaolin's masterpieces, you can perceive a notion called "humorous features" (qu wei, 趣味) which is often advocated by Mr. John Li Tung-keung (李東 強 ) during his capacity as a drawing and painting instructor at CUHK Department of Fine Arts. Whenever you are encountering with the description of natural landscapes, it is inevitable that you have to instill your unique visual elements to enhance the conoisseurship values. Mrs. Anson Chan's mother manages this skill very well by transcending the framework of Realism and portraying the landscape details with a narrative vision. People might think that the paintings of Mrs. Anson Chan's mother are filled with childhood and naive elements. But, if you study the iconographies with an in-depth formal analysis, Mrs. Anson Chan's mother fulfills what Xie He anticipated from his "Six Rules" in Eastern Jin Dynasty, for example, "vividness of spiritual essence" and "vibrancy of structural brushworks".

Please take time to appreciate the creative dedications of Mrs. Anson Chan's mother at Art Of Nature International Company Limited on the upcoming Friday.

Date: 12 Jun 2015Time: 3:00 p.m - 8:00 p.mVenue: 2104-05, 21st Floor, Mega Trade Centre, 1 Mei Wan Street, Tsuen Wan (Art Of Nature International Gallery)

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(Photo 9 - 11) Miss. Cissy Cheung, President of Art Of Nature International Company Limited, was interviewed by journalists from the Mainland press media during the “A Contemporary Art Exhibition for the Establishment of Art Of Nature Saloon” inside the Exhibition Gallery of MSC Vintion Group at Fuzhou Tongpan

Road Software Park on 18 June 2011

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Infinite Love – 1st Hong Kong International Female Contemporary Art Exhibition

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{details of exhibition – with Chinese version only}

《藝術無界，大美無價，大愛無疆》香港首屆國際女性藝術展展覽時間（公眾開放）:2015. 10. 3 - 79 am – 8 pm

2015. 10. 8 9 am – 5 pm

展覽地點 :香港大會堂低座展覽廳活動日程 :2015.10. 2藝術家與智行基金會資助青少年《共繪未來》公益活動3 – 5:30 pm

VIP預展酒會6:30 – 8 pm

2015.10. 3開幕儀式5:30 – 7 pm主禮嘉賓：許曉暉局長，朱挺副部長，林廣兆主席，陳寧寧太平紳士，彭峰副院長，龔中心董事，高醇芳主席，許伯夷主席，貝均奇太平紳士，李秀恆會長，西蒙館長，黃梅博士晚宴及慈善義賣 (VIP only) 7:30 pm

2015.10.4藝術論壇《女性藝術促進社會人文的持續發展》3 – 5:30 pm主講人：西蒙．毛瑞爾（瑞士）、高醇芳（法國）、陸蓉之（臺灣）、黃梅（德籍華人）、林鳴崗（香港）、林明琛（香港）

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語言：普通話、英語2015.10.6齊鵬《山海經符號》主題巡迴展開幕酒會 :5 – 8 pm地點 :天趣當代藝術館Enquiry :Mandy KwokT: 24164734E: mandy@vintion.comW: www.hkifars.com

香港天趣國際女性藝術研究會 HK Art of Nature International Feminist Art Research Society世界女藝術家理事會(香港) International Women Artists Associates – Hong Kong

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