HONG KONG.- Sun Museum is presenting the exhibition “Abbreviated Expressiveness in Chinese Painting: Expressive Painting in Blue-and-White and Expressive Painting by Xie Zhiquang”, from 26 July 2019 to 5 October 2019. The exhibition showcases over 160 pieces of blue-and-white porcelain made by the Ming and Qing folk kilns and more than 20 pieces of paintings by modern Shanghai artist Xie Zhiquang (1900-1976) selected from the Yun Quan Studio Collection. Abbreviated expressive paintings first emerged in the Southern Song Dynasty. Rendering in simple and bold brushstrokes to capture the features of the subject, artists employ expressive depiction yet without losing its form. With this drawing style as the theme, the exhibition highlights the simple and abstract decorative drawings on the Ming and Qing folk blue-and-white ware as well as the expressive paintings by Xie Zhiguang. By comparing the two seemingly disparate art forms, it invites audience to appreciate expressive style from a new perspective.
The exhibition opening was held on 25 July at 4:30pm. The officiating guests included: Mr CHAN Sing Wai, Assistant Director of Leisure and Cultural Services; Dr WONG Ying Ho, Kennedy, BBS, JP, Chairman of Board of Governors of Hong Kong Baptist University Foundation; Ms YIU Ching Fun, Angeline, Founding President of Jao Link; Dr TANG Wai Hung, Collector of Yun Quan Studio; and Dr SUEN Siu Man, Simon, BBS, JP, Founding Chairman of Simon Suen Foundation.
The production of folk blue-and-white porcelain reached its peak during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Among over a hundred pieces of daily utensils on display, despite their quality and brushwork are inferior to imperial ware, the aesthetic value of folk blue-and-white lies in its expressive depiction and diversified decorations. Taking the “children at play” motifs popular in the late Ming period as an example, potters draw circles as children’s bodies and heads, and a few strokes as hair and limbs. Such abstract yet vivid illustration demonstrates the creativity of this traditional handicraft. The exhibits reveal a painting technique on porcelain created by neglected artists and is definitely worth a visit.
Another part of this exhibition showcases Xie Zhiquang’s expressive Chinese paintings from his later years, which feature landscapes, birds and flowers. Under the influence of Wu Changshuo and Qi Baishi, Xie favours to use seal script characters to delineate flowers and highlight flower blossoms with rich and brilliant colours. His flowers and animals assume geometric shapes with sharp-cornered outlines which add a sense of rustic simplicity.
Mr Yeung Chun Tong, Director of the Sun Museum said, “With the theme on abbreviated expressive painting, the exhibition juxtaposes the folk blue-and-white porcelain with the works by Xie Zhiquang, to compare the painting styles of artists of different periods and levels of education. Expressive paintings on folk blue-and-white reflect the commoners’ livelihood at that time. Such free-flowing and diversified drawings have been passed down by the later artists. Through this exhibition, I aspire to enhance the public interest in Chinese folk art and to open up a new scope of art study.”
The “Leung Hui Wah: Distant Views of Hong Kong” photo exhibition is concurrently held at the Museum. A selection of 60 photographs by the late traveler Leung Hui Wah features urban and rural Hong Kong from the 1970’s to 1990’s. Viewers can traverse the city scenery and tranquil landscape of the old Hong Kong through Leung’s lens.
