Curated by a respected figure in the Asian art world, curator and scholar Catherine Maudsley, “The exhibition stands apart from trends and clamour.  It commemorates the accomplishments of Tongson who, from a young age, dedicated himself to ink painting.  Tongson’s achievements are an important contribution to this art form’s continuous evolution.

The exhibition is timely. As Maudsley says, “Contemporary Chinese ink painting is now more prominent than ever, its importance is recognised at both critical and commercial levels.  Auction houses have created new, dedicated categories for 21st century contemporary ink art; artists who had not been drawn to the medium before are grasping new opportunities and gallerists are responding in a similar way.

A total of 42 paintings are displayed at the exhibition, 15 completed before 1995 and 27 paintings completed after. A group of eight paintings on the fourth floor provides a succinct summary, demonstrating a range of techniques explored and mastered by the artist, primarily methods that abandoned the brush. New to public view are Tongson’s breakthroughs in finger painting from his mature period.

“Exuberant and energetic, with swirls and lines and dips and dots, their rhythm is captivating and uplifting. Primarily landscapes, with some depictions of plants and trees, they express a completely dedicated and authentic voice in contemporary ink.”

Created in the solitude of a studio in Hong Kong’s Mid-Levels District, by an artist who had mostly withdrawn from the world, they are palpable demonstrations of the joy of ink painting, a joy that has been known to all artists accomplished in this medium, irrespective of time and place.

At the official opening event guests of honour included Dr. Florian Knothe, Director, University Museum and Art Gallery, HKU, Mr. David Pong Chun-Yee, Vice-Chairman, The Ink Society and Dr. Josh Yiu, Associate Director, The Art Museum, CUHK in addition to Cynthia Tongson, sister of the artist and Catherine Maudsley.

Tongson’s work has previously been shown to the public in Hong Kong City Hall for his first solo exhibition, followed by Galerie du Monde, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hanart 2 Gallery as well as Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for solo exhibitions and group shows. In addition to exhibition catalogues, his work was catalogued in two books: The Landscape - Modern Chinese Paintings by Tang Jiawei (Hong Kong: 1994), and The Landscape - Modern Chinese Paintings by Tang Jiawei (Hong Kong: 1996).

Over the two weeks, students will be given an interactive worksheet so that they may learn more about ink while visiting the exhibition. A fully illustrated, bilingual catalogue will be available at the exhibition Ink Explorations: A Wesley Tongson Retrospective for HK$150.

“Over the last year while putting together this exhibition with Catherine, I came to know my brother better and it has brought me closer to him. This has been an enlightening and fulfilling journey for me, I now understand more about Wesley's creative intention, and for that, I will always be grateful,” said Cynthia Tongson.