HONG KONG.- Sun Museum announced the launch of two books by Yeung Chun Tong, Evolving Monolith and A Life Story of Mixed Emotions, and “Auspicious Drawings”, an exhibition on the cartoon drawings of A Life Story of Mixed Emotions which opens on 31st March and runs through 30 May 2020.

Yeung Chun Tong is currently the Director of Sun Museum. Having worked in the museum industry for over 45 years, Yeung has an impressive resume which includes the near-300 exhibitions curated, their accompanying catalogues published, and the over 200 public lectures on traditional culture delivered. As a noted museum professional, Yeung has also served as Honorary Associate Professor at the Faculty of Arts of The University of Hong Kong, Visiting Fellow at Canberra School of Art of The Australian National University, and advisor to many art and cultural organizations in both public and private sectors, all in an endeavour to promote traditional Chinese culture.

Evolving Monolith is the third title in Yeung’s series on traditional Chinese culture, preceded by Flavours of Life and Unfailing Wisdom. The series is the fruition of Yeung’s assiduous research on Chinese art and culture over the decades. The latest title delves into the seemingly monolithic Chinese culture which has, in reality, never ceased to evolve over the centuries. One example covered in the book concerns tea. Traditionally, tea was a form of wedding gift. As the tea tree cannot survive transplantation, the wedding gift of tea took on the symbolism that the bride-to-be would not remarry in the future. Nowadays, “tea gift” has taken on a new meaning, referring to people accepting advantages. Another example relates to lion. In the ancient times, lion was called bixie. The animal was presented to the Han emperor from a foreign country. The ancient Chinese believed that the lion summons evil-repelling power because of its fearful appearance and enormous size. They named the animal bixie, literally “repel evil”. Only at a later time was it changed into “shizi” which is a transliteration from the Sanskrit “simha”. The ferocious lion was later domesticated with a bell around its neck, becoming a guardian at people’s front doors. Fascinating accounts such as these are narrated in plain and humorous language in Yeung’s Evolving Monolith.

Set in Hong Kong in the 1950s and 1960s, the other book A Life Story of Mixed Emotions presents 22 stories about the fictional protagonist Ping Buen Yat right from his birth to his successful enrollment in university. Born into a poor family, Ping lives in a small flat with his parents, two brothers, and eight other families. Privacy does not exist, with more than 40 people all squeezed into a small flat. Each family has to fight for using the kitchen and toilet every day. Although life is extremely tough, the characters are willing to help each other, and are able to find happiness in the midst of their suffering. The book ends with Ping’s successful admission to university after continuous struggles and disappointments. While the stories are filled with bitterness, the illustrations exude joy, encapsulating the bittersweetness of life.

The cartoon exhibition entitled “Auspicious Drawings”, which runs from 31 March to 30 May 2020, showcases the original drafts of Yeung’s illustrations for A Life Story of Mixed Emotions. On display are 8 polychrome and 44 monochrome drawings all created by Yeung. In these images, Yeung has blended traditional auspicious meanings with modern life, conveying the anticipations of modern Chinese people. In particular, the series of Eight Happinesses of a Floating Life illustrates eight important pursuits in Chinese life.

Chloe Suen, Chair of the Simon Suen Foundation, remarked, “Yeung is a veteran of art and Chinese culture. He discerns the world with a unique eye informed by experience and wisdom. He is at once a scholar and writer, commanding rationality typical of the former as well as independence typical of the latter. His works never fail to inspire and fasincate. His latest titles are bilingual, which are central to spreading Chinese culture to every corner of the globe, a mission always held fast by the Simon Suen Foundation”.

Concurrently on display is an exhibition titled “Chinese Tradition in Western Oil”, showcasing oil paintings by a group of Chinese painters who manipulate Western oil techniques to express the essence of Chinese art. This exhibition runs until 30 May 2020.