(b. 1919, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; d. 1975, Hong Kong)
Lui Shou Kwan was a Chinese painter who took the first steps towards what may be described as a distinct Hong Kong genre. Born in Guanzhou, Lui spent the second half of his life in Hong Kong. Trained in the monochrome ink painting of the wen-ren (Literati) painters and the highly refined delicacy of the Court style, he nevertheless tried to free himself from the rigidity of classical tradition that had become insipid and stereotyped. The artist’s first one-man show in Hong Kong in 1954 reflected his interest in exploring visual reality in terms of light and atmosphere. In this he was probably influenced by the European Impressionists. Unlike the Impressionists however, Lui did not attempt to represent transitory optical sensations but rather to endow his subject matter with a quiet and contemplative lyricism while remaining faithful to the Chinese paper, brush and ink.
From the second exhibition of his work in 1957, it was clear that Lui was emerging as an artist producing many Hong Kong landscapes in line and wash.
The experimental investigation took a daring turn when the style of some landscapes began to verge on the abstract: lines were transformed into decisive calligraphic strokes which ceased to represent recognisable figurations but came to exist as pure form. Lui saw abstraction as a direct embodiment of the artist’s spirit. Occasionally, motifs of objective reality such as a boat, a cottage or a group of tiny figures would be woven into the near abstract landscapes, thus obliterating the dividing line between the representational and non-representational in art, and uniting the seemingly opposite elements of naturalism and abstraction.
A major one-man show at the opening of the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 1962 brought Lui official recognition. From that moment on Lui’s style continued to evolve, culminating in two techniques: the Dry style in which dense black ink is dragged by a broad brush on absorbent paper, and the wet style which is achieved by spattering ink and water on the surface of a painting. During the early 60’s, Lui’s work was pervaded by a philosophical mood deriving from his preoccupation with Zen Buddhism.
Lui died at the age of 56, leaving no direct successor to the style he founded. However, through his persistent experimentation and dedication, he established new standards in Chinese painting for future generations of Chinese artists.
Raised in Guangzhou, Lui Shou Kwan organised the Guangdong Flood Charity Fund Chinese Painting Exhibition in his hometown in 1946. In 1948, he moved to Hong Kong and joined the Hong Kong and Yaumatei Ferry Company in 1949, working as an inspector. He contributed articles on art and reviews on art exhibitions to local newspaper in 1952 , and published his book "A Study of Chinese painting" in 1956. In 1957, he became a member of the Society of Hong Kong Artists and organised adult art classes at the Chung Shan Middle School, Hong Kong in 1958. He was invited by the Modern Literature and Art Association to be its honorary advisor in 1959. He was also honorary advisor to the City hall Museum and Art Gallery (later re-named Hong Kong Museum of Art) in 1962. In 1966 he resigned from the Hong Kong and Yaumatei Ferry Company and taught Chinese ink painting at the University of Hong Kong, Department of Architecture, on a regular part-time basis. He also taught ink painting at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Department of Extra-Mural Studies in the same year. In 1968 his students of the Extra-Mural courses formed the "In Tao Art Association" and presented its first group show. Another group of the Extra-Mural courses organised the "Painting in the Chinese Tradition' exhibition and later formed the "one Art Group" in 1970.
In 1971 the British Government awarded Lui Shou Kwan an MBE by for his distinguished contribution to the arts and in 1972 he published the book, Lectures on Ink Painting. He died in Hong Kong on September 26, 1975 at the age of fifty-six.
A first retrospective exhibition was organised by the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 1976. In 1979, Wucius Wong, Cheung Shu-sun, Kan Tai Keung and Leung Kui Ting published the book, Lui Shou-kwan: 1919-1975, the first monograph on the Hong Kong painter. In 1985 the Fung Ping Shan Museum of the University of Hong Kong held a retrospective exhibition on the artist, a show illustrated by a catalogue, Hong Kong in Ink Moods: Landscape Paintings by Lui Shou Kwan. The most recent retrospective was held in 2002 by the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and was accompanied by a catalogue Lui Shou-kwan - New Ink Painting.
Biographical Notes
1919
Born in Guangdong, China
1946
Graduated from university in Guangzhou with a degree in economics
Organised the Kwangtung Flood Charity Fund Chinese Painting Exhibition in Canton, China
1948
Moved to Hong Kong
1949
Joined the Hong Kong and Yaumatei Ferry Company, working as an inspector
1952
Contributed articles on art and reviews on art exhibitions to local newspapers
1956
Published "A Study of Chinese Painting"
1957
Became member of the Society of Hong Kong Artists
1958
Organised adult art classes at the Chung Shan Middle School, Hong Kong
1959
Invited by the Modern Literature and Art Association to be its honorary advisor
1962
Honorary advisor to the City Hall Museum and Art Gallery (later re-named the Hong Kong Museum of Art)
1966
Resigned from the Hong Kong and Yaumatei Ferry Company. Taught Chinese ink painting at the University of Hong Kong, Department of Architecture, on a regular part-time basis. Also taught ink painting courses at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Department of Extramural Studies
1968
His students of the Extramural courses formed the "In Tao Art Association" and presented its first group show
1970
Another group of his students of the Extramural Courses organised "Painting in the Chinese Tradition" exhibition and later formed the "One Art Group"
1971
Awarded an MBE by the British Government for his contribution to the arts
1972
Published "Lectures on Ink Painting"
1975
Died in Hong Kong on 26 September at the age of fifty-six
Solo Exhibitions
1954
Hong Kong Hotel, Hong Kong
1957
British Council Library, Hong Kong
1959
Atherton Gallery, Menlo Park, California, USA
1960
Stanford Research Institute, California, USA
1961
Parkinson Court, University of Leeds, UK
1962
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, U. K.; Queen's University, Belfast, UK
1963
Sino-American Cultural and Economic Association, Taipei, Taiwan; Commonwealth Institute, Edinburgh and London, UK
1964
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong; Luz Gallery, Manila, Philippines; Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, U.K.; Roland, Browse & Delbanco, London, UK; City Art Gallery, Bristol, U.K.; City of Nottingham Gallery, Nottingham, UK; Bangor Art Gallery, Bangor, North Wales, UK
1965
Museum and Art Gallery, Hastings, U.K.; New Metropole Arts Centre, Folkestone, UK
1967
Sally Jackson Gallery, Hong Kong; Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, UK
1968
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, U.K.; Portsmouth City Art Gallery, Southsea, UK
1969
Museum and Art Gallery, Newport, UK; South London Art Gallery, London, UK
1970
Hugh M. Moss Ltd., London, UK
1971
CJL Gallery, Hong Kong
1973
Covent Garden Gallery, London, UK
1974
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK
1976
"The World of Lui Shou Kwan", Retrospective Exhibition, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
1977
Talbot Rice Arts Centre, Edinburgh, UK
1980
Gallery Eighties, Toronto, Canada
1982
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, U.K.; Satori Gallery, San Francisco, USA
1984
Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
1985
Hong Kong in Ink Moods, Fung Ping Shan Museum, Hong Kong
1988
Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
2002
Retrospective exhibition "Lui Shou-Kwan-New Ink Painting" at Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
Group Shows
Lui Shou Kwan exhibited in group shows in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, U.K., and the USA
2007
3rd Shanghai Ink Biennial, “Exploration: New Ink Art Shanghai”, Zhu Qizhan Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2008
“Hong Kong Art: Open Dialogue” Exhibition Series II--- “New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond”, curated by Mrs Alice King, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
Selected Collections
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
De Yong Museum, San Francisco, CA, USA
The Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Museu Luis de Camoes, Macau
National Historical Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
M. H. de Young Museum, Avery Brundage Foundation, San Francisco, USA
The Victoria & Albery Museum, London, United Kingdom
The Ashmoleum Museum, Oxford, United Kingdom
The City Art Gallery, Bristol, United Kingdom
The Castle Gallery, Nottingham, United Kingdom
