Venue: Gallery I, Art Museum, Institute of Chinese Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Having collected modern Chinese painting for over four decades, the master of Eryi Caotang has assembled an extraordinary collection that provides an overview of the development of Chinese ink painting from the late 19th century to the 20th century. The exhibition features 70 masterpieces by well-known masters including Qi Baishi (1864-1957), Xu Beihong (1895-1953), Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), Lin Fengmian (1900-1990), Fu Baoshi (1904-1965), and Li Keran (1907-1989). Many of these paintings were collected during the 1970s and 1980s, when China gradually recovered from the aftermath of the devastating Cultural Revolution and when Hong Kong's economic boom fostered a new group of collectors. The master of Eryi Caotang was a typical Hong Kong businessman of that period, and his success in business led to his lifelong passion for Chinese painting and friendships with many prominent artists. As such, the collecting history in recent memory is intricately linked with the lives and practices of artists and the ties between Hong Kong and mainland China.