The Hong Kong Jockey Club Presents - A World Within: The Art and Inspiration of Irene Chou | 香港賽馬會呈獻—萬象之根：周綠雲繪畫藝術展

25 September 2019 - 05 January 2020

The Hong Kong Jockey Club presents A World Within: The Art and Inspiration of Irene Chou as the third instalment in ASHK’s “20th Century Chinese Female Artist Series.” One of the most inventive artists at the forefront of Hong Kong’s New Ink Art Movement, Irene Chou (1924-2011) had a dynamic career spanning from the 1950s to early 2000s. She was remarkable for paving new possibilities in Chinese ink painting through a highly original abstract visual language, and her exploration of modern themes informed by metaphysics, science, religion and literature, as well as her personal outlook on life. With over forty works, this exhibition traces Chou’s artistic trajectory and considers her historical significance in the first major thematic survey since the artist’s passing.

In presenting the third installment of the 20th Century Chinese Female Artist Series and its related education programs, Asia Society will focus on the crossover theme of Art and Mental Wellness. Various free supporting activities under a series of art education programs, including public lectures, master classes, film screenings, family day and open-call competition, aimed at equipping participants with a deeper understanding of Ms. Chou’s life experience and expressive way of painting, cultivating their appreciation in art, providing a multi-dimensional perspective of the trick as to how to combine art creation and mental wellness, as well as sharing the joy of art.

香港賽馬會呈獻《萬象之根：周綠雲繪畫藝術展》，為亞洲協會香港中心「二十世紀中國女藝術家系列」之三。周綠雲（1924-2011）是香港新水墨運動之中別樹一幟的先驅。她在1950至2000年代，橫跨半世紀的藝術生涯中，不斷實驗創新水墨的可能性，發展出獨特的抽象視覺語言。她的作品受形上學、科學、宗教和文學所啟發，同時流露她對生命的個人詮釋。本展覽繼藝術家逝世後，首次透過單元式策展匯聚超過四十幅作品，追溯周綠雲的創作脈絡及貢獻。

為詮釋周氏的藝術生涯和其直抒胸臆的風格，是次展覽推出一連串藝術教育計劃，舉行講座、工作坊、放映會、家庭同樂日和公開比賽等免費公眾活動，提高參加者的藝術修養，啟發他們以不同角度探索結合藝術創作與精神健康的奧妙之處，盡情享受藝術。

About the Series 關於系列

20th Century Chinese Female Artists 二十世紀中國女藝術家系列

Female empowerment and equality in modern societies have been a much debated topic dating back over a century. While the diverse achievements of female talents across different fields have gained better light in recent years, female artists remain an under-represented and under-appreciated segment in Western societies and even more so across Chinese communities.

Yet the emergence of female artists in 20th century China was a testament to both the country’s social progress and the various redefinitions of modernity that were adopted in a historical context complicated by wars and disasters. Female agency in society was among the issues argued and promoted in the mass media of the time and retains lasting ideological power today. In scholastic studies and exhibitions, however, attention has been focused on modern Chinese male artists. Exhibitions featuring the creative attainments and influences of their female counterparts from the period are few and far between, and rarely in monographic presentations.

Asia Society Hong Kong Center’s 20th Century Chinese Female Artists Exhibition Series (“the Series”), the first of its kind in Hong Kong, aims to reclaim the story of female artists. By providing local Hong Kong audiences with important examples of their artistic accomplishments, we hope to honor them with the public recognition they deserve for their contribution to the making of modern China.

From a wider community context, the Series fits into the discourse on female empowerment and equality in today’s Hong Kong, where research indicates that women continue to face challenges in male-dominated industries as well as gender stereotypes in the media and the workplace. Through education programs for children, students, families, and the general public, we will highlight achievements of women in various industries while connecting to the lives and careers of the unique female artists presented in the Series.

現代社會的女權和平等，從上一世紀以來一直是極具爭議的話題。近年來，儘管有才華的女性在不同領域上的成就較以往多了注目，但眾多社會上的女藝術家代表性仍然不足，她們仍然未能得到充分讚譽，這情況在各個中國社區更為明顯。

然而，二十世紀中國女性藝術家的出現卻印證了中國社會的進步，同時也為經歷戰爭和災難這複雜歷史背景下的現代添上了新的定義。社會上的女性代表一方面備受爭議，另一方面則為當時大眾傳媒所追捧，這意識形態的力量在今天仍然存在。學術研究和展覽界別的注意力往往集中在現代中國男性藝術家身上，以一個時代的女藝術家創意成就和影響力為題的展覽極為罕有，更鮮有以女藝術家個人為專題的展覽。

亞洲協會香港中心二十世紀中國女藝術家系列 (「系列」) 開創先河，為女藝術家故事爭取發光發亮。透過向香港觀眾展示她們重要的藝術成就，以提升公眾對她們的認知，令她們對中國現代作出的貢獻得以表揚。

若然以較廣泛社區為宏觀背景，研究指出香港今天的女性在各行各業內仍然面對著由男性主導的挑戰，在媒體和職場上就繼續受到性別定型的規限，可見系列的主題理念，正好配合香港現時女權和平等的議題。我們將透過為小朋友、學生、家庭及公眾設計提供的各項教育活動，特顯女性在不同行業上的成就，並同時將之連繫到系列中各獨特女藝術家的生活和事業生涯。

About the Exhibition 關於展覽

Asia Society Hong Kong Center presents A World Within: The Art and Inspiration of Irene Chou as the third installment in its “20th Century Chinese Female Artist Series.” One of the most inventive artists at the forefront of Hong Kong’s New Ink Art Movement, Irene Chou (1924-2011) had a dynamic career spanning from the 1950s to early 2000s. She was remarkable for paving new possibilities in Chinese ink painting through a highly original abstract visual language, and her exploration of modern themes informed by an interest in metaphysics, science and literature, as well as her personal outlook on life. This exhibition traces Chou’s artistic trajectory and considers her historical significance in a thematic survey through the four lenses of “self hood”; “duality”; the motif of “red”; and “world-making in motion.”

亞洲協會香港中心呈獻《萬象之根：周綠雲繪畫藝術展》，本次展覽為「二十世紀中國女藝術家」系列的第三場展覽。作為新水墨運動中最具創造力的藝術家之一，周綠雲在橫跨半個世紀的繪畫生涯之中屢次創新。通過高度原創的抽象視覺語言與她對玄學、科學和文學的濃厚興趣，周綠雲為中國傳統水墨畫開創了一種新的可能性。本次展覽嘗試追尋周氏的的藝術軌跡，並從「自我」、「對立」、「紅色」和「形動意轉」四個主題出發檢視她對香港藝術發展的歷史意義。

Exhibition Period:
September 25, 2019 - January 5, 2020

Opening: September 24, 2019

Exhibition Venue:
Chantal Miller Gallery
Asia Society Hong Kong Center
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Former Explosives Magazine
9 Justice Drive, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday: 11 am — 6 pm
Last Thursday of Every Month: 11 am — 8 pm
Closed on Mondays

Free Admission

展覽日期：
2019年9月24日 – 2020年1月5日

展覽場地：
麥禮賢夫人藝術館
亞洲協會香港中心
香港金鐘正義道9號香港賽馬會復修軍火庫

開放時間：
星期二至星期日：上午11時至下午6時
每月最後一個星期四：上午11時至晚上8時
逢星期一休館

免費入場

About the Artist 關於藝術家

《周綠雲肖像》 — Photograph: Ric Frearson. Courtesy of Take a Step Back Collection

Born and raised in Shanghai during the tumultuous years of the Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War, Irene Chou (1924-2011) received bilingual modern education and attended the prestigious Shanghai St. John’s University. Chou worked as a journalist for Peace Daily upon graduation and only began practicing art formally in the 1950s after she moved to Hong Kong. She first studied under the Lingnan School master Zhao Shao’ang, before learning ink painting from Lui Shou Kwan in the 1960s. Under the influence of Lui’s innovative teaching and friendship, Chou developed a highly original abstract visual language informed by modern themes, Western techniques and art movements as well as her unique outlook on life. The artist suffered a stroke in 1991 that nearly ended her career, however, she was able to recover mobility through her qigong practice. Irene Chou’s artistic trajectory is marked by many distinct phases, and her painting was rejuvenated with new life and virtuosity after her stroke and relocation to Australia.

The artist’s achievements are recognized by her numerous awards, such as the Pacificulture Asia Museum Fine Art Award in 1972, Hong Kong Urban Council Award in 1983 and Hong Kong Artist of the Year Award in 1988. Chou was also widely exhibited internationally, consecutively included in the London Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition in the 1970s, and was chosen to represent Hong Kong in the First Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art held at the Queensland Art Gallery in 1993. Her art contributes an important chapter in the New Ink Art Movement, not only highlighting the significance of a female voice in making traditional Chinese painting speak to a modern world, but also the power of art to heal and reinvent the human spirit.

周綠雲（1924－2011)出生於上海，在五四運動新思潮的洗禮下，她從小接受傳統中國私塾教育及現代西方教育。大學畢業後，她於《和平日報》擔任記者。直到她於1949年移居香港後，方開始接受藝術訓練。她一開始跟從嶺南畫派第二代大師趙少昂學習，後來於1960年轉為跟隨呂壽琨學習水墨畫。在呂壽琨創新的教學方法和兩人深厚的友誼影響下，周氏根據現代藝術主題、西方繪畫技巧以及她對生命的獨有看法，開發了一種抽象的視覺語言。1991年，周氏於寓所突然中風，差點就此終結她的藝術生涯。然而，經過持續地練習氣功，周氏最終恢復了健康。周氏藝術成就得到社會廣泛認可。她於1972年獲
頒太平洋文化亞洲博物館美術獎、1983年獲頒香港市政局美術獎、1988年獲頒香港當年畫家獎。此外，周氏常受邀在世界各地舉辦展覽，例如1970年「英國皇家美術院第202居展覽」以及1993年代表香港到澳洲昆士蘭州立美術館參與「首屆亞太地區藝術三年展」。

Visitor Information 參觀展覽

September 25 2019 – January 5, 2020
(Joy of Art: Irene Chou Response Show on view January 19 - February 9, 2020)

Free Admission

Location
Chantal Miller Gallery, Asia Society Hong Kong Center
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Former Explosives Magazine
9 Justice Drive Admiralty, Hong Kong

Opening Hours
Tuesday - Sunday: 11am - 6pm
Last Thursday of every month: 11am - 8pm (Sept 26; Oct 31; Nov 28; & Jan 30, 2020)
Closed on Mondays (Exception: Gallery open on Monday, Dec 2, 2019 during Center hours)

Last admission 30 minutes before closing

Special Opening Arrangement
Closed: Dec 25 & 26, 2019 for Christmas and Boxing Day | Jan 25, 26 & 27 2020 for Lunar New Year
Click here to read more about our special opening arrangement.

2019年9月25日至2020年1月5日
藝術的喜悅--周綠雲回應展 | 展覽日期：2020年1月19日至2月9日

免費參觀

展覽場地
亞洲協會香港中心麥禮賢夫人藝術館

香港賽馬會復修軍火庫
香港金鐘正義道9號

開放時間
星期二至星期日：上午11時至下午6時
每月最後一個星期四：上午11時至晚上8時
逢星期一、聖誕節正及元旦休館

最後入場閉館前30分鐘

特別日子開放安排
休館: 12月25、26日 (聖誕節) | 1月25、26、27日 (農曆新年)
請按此參閱公眾假期及特別日子開放安排

Guided Tours 展覽導賞團

Our docent-led tours provide additional insights into the life of the Hong Kong artist Irene Chou and share the stories that inspired her art. Tours last approximately forty five minutes and are provided free of charge. For group or school tours, please send an email to us at least one month in advance to request an appointment.

We welcome Asia Society members and the public to join us one art-ful weekend!

Gallery Guided Tours

Saturday 2:30pm (English) | 3:30pm (Cantonese)
Sunday 2:30pm (English) | 3:30pm (Cantonese)

Tours in Putonghua can be arranged upon request.

Tours are open to the public. No registration is required.

(Please note that the exhibition will be closed to the public on Saturday, November 30; In lieu of this change, the exhibition and Chantal Miller Gallery will be open to the public on Monday, December 2 during regular Center hours.)

展覽導賞團

逢星期六 2:30pm (英語) | 3:30pm (粵語)
逢星期日 2:30pm (英語) | 3:30pm (粵語)

普通話導賞團需另作預約。

Curator-Led Tours

October 5, 2918 (Saturday) 2:30pm (English)
November 9, 2019 (Saturday) 3:30pm (Cantonese)
December 7, 2019 (Saturday) 2:30pm (English)
January 4, 2020 (Saturday) 2:30pm (English) | 3:30pm (Cantonese)

策展人現場導賞

2019年10月5日(星期六) 2:30pm (英語)
2019年11月9日(星期六) 3:30pm (粵語)
2019年12月7日(星期六) 2:30pm (英語)
2020年1月4日(星期六) 2:30pm (英語) | 3:30pm (粵語)

Programs 活動

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Art Education and Female Empowerment Series A World Within: The Art and Inspiration of Irene Chou education programs.

Various free supporting activities under a series of art education programs, including public lectures, master classes, film screenings, family day and open-call competition, aimed at equipping participants with a deeper understanding of Ms. Chou’s life experience and expressive way of painting, cultivating their appreciation in art, providing a multi-dimensional perspective of the trick as to how to combine art creation and mental wellness, as well as sharing the joy of art. There are 14 education programs as well as teachers' workshop and resource guide, alongside other accessibility programs.

賽馬會藝術教育及「妍亮人生」計劃《萬象之根：周綠雲繪畫藝術展》教育項目

為詮釋周氏的藝術生涯和其直抒胸臆的風格，是次展覽推出一連串藝術教育計劃，舉行講座、工作坊、放映會、家庭同樂日和公開比賽等免費公眾活動，提高參加者的藝術修養，啟發他們以不同角度探索結合藝術創作與精神健康的奧妙之處，盡情享受藝術。共14 個公眾教育項目，亦有教師工作坊及教師資源手冊，及為傷健人士而設的通達藝術導賞團。

Open Studio｜開放工作室

October 6, 2019: Water and Ink｜水與墨
November 3, 2019 & November 9, 2019: Shapes of Line｜線的形狀
December 1, 2019: Sphere｜球體
January 4, 2019: Ink and Collage｜拼貼水墨

Screening｜電影放映

October 14, 2019: Please Remember Me｜我祇認識妳
November 13, 2019: Nise: The Heart of Madness
December 2, 2019: The Departure
February 3, 2020: Maudie

Art Open-call and Exhibition｜藝術徵集及展覽

Joy of Art: Irene Chou Response Show｜藝術的喜悅--周綠雲回應展
Submission period｜作品遞交: September 24, 2019- December 31, 2019
Winning and selected works exhibition｜得獎及入圍作品展覽: January 19, 2020- February 2, 2020

Education Materials｜教學資料

Art Open-call and Exhibition 藝術徵集及展覽

Joy of Art: Irene Chou Response Show｜藝術的喜悅--周綠雲回應展

Inspired by the life and art by Irene Chou? Share your creative expressions and any work inspired by her paintings to be included in the Joy of Art open call exhibition!

To engage with the local community in Hong Kong and encourage hands-on education through art, Asia Society will organize an open-call visual competition inspired by themes related to A World Within. Participants are invited to submit any form of creative expression, with winning submissions exhibited in the Chantal Miller Gallery from January 19 to February 9, 2020. Not only can this open-call competition encourage greater art participation of the local community, but it can also inspire participants to reflect on the intricate relationship between art and mental wellness during the artistic creation process.

Submission Period: September 24- December 31, 2019, 12:00 pm (HKT)
Exhibition Period: January 19 – February 9, 2020

Click here to learn more

讓我們從周綠雲的藝術吸取靈感，呈現你的內心世界。得獎及入圍作品將於《藝術的喜悅--周綠雲回應展》中展出。作品遞交：2019年9月24日至12月31日中午12時 (香港時間)

展覽日期：2020年1月19日至2月9日

按此了解更多

Catalogue 展覽圖錄

A bilingual exhibition catalogue, A World Within: The Art and Inspiration of Irene Chou, will be published on the occasion of Asia Society Hong Kong Center’s eponymous exhibition on view from September 25, 2019 to January 5, 2020. The catalogue will celebrate Chou as one of the most inventive artists at the forefront of Hong Kong’s New Ink Painting Movement, with her dynamic career spanning from the 1950s to early 2000s. She was remarkable for paving new possibilities in Chinese ink painting through a highly original abstract visual language, and her exploration of modern themes informed by an interest in metaphysics, science and literature. The catalogue includes all the exhibited artworks and texts, as well as three essays by Joyce Hei-ting Wong (exhibition curator), Dr. Eva Man Kit Wah (Director and Chair Professor of the Academy of Film, Baptist University of Hong Kong), and André Chan (Independent Curator and Writer) that provide new scholarship and insight on the life and artistic development of Irene Chou. The 218-page hardcover catalogue is bilingual in English and Chinese and includes over sixty colour illustrations of artworks and archival photographs.

為配合於2019年9月25日至2020年1月5日舉辦「二十世紀中國女藝術家系列」之三，《萬象之根：周綠雲繪畫藝術展》，亞洲協會香港中心將出版展覽同名圖錄。作為香港新水墨運動中其中一位最具創造力的藝術家，從二十世紀五十年代到千禧年，周綠雲的藝術生涯橫跨了半個世紀。她以一種高度原創的視覺語言及其產自對玄學，科學和文學興趣，致力探索當代議題的作品，為中國水墨畫提供了全新的可能性。本書收集了是次展覽中超過40幅繪畫及其作品資料，並輔以由策展人黃熙婷、香港浸會大學電影學院總監文潔華博士及獨立策展人兼作家陳子澂撰寫的三篇專題文章，展示學界對周綠雲個人及藝術發展研究的最新成果。全書中英雙語對照、精装印刷、並收錄超過60張全彩圖片以及其他珍貴的舊照片。

ISBN: 978-988-78732-2-8

Size: H290 x W210mm

Number of pages: 180 (approx.)

Price: $350/catalogue

Publisher: Asia Society Hong Kong Center

Designer: Trilingua Design

Audio Guide 語音導賞

1. Exhibition Introduction 展覽介紹

English:

廣東話：

普通話：

The Universe Lies Within I 1996, Chinese ink, color and acrylic on hemp paper, 150 x 208 cm, Private collection

2. The Universe Lies within I《內心宇宙一》

English:

廣東話:

普通話：

3. Chamber 1-1 Discovering the Meaning of Art 展廳1-1「尋找藝術的真諦」

English:

廣東話:

普通話：

Untitled (Mantis on Ladies Stocking), 1960, Ink, color and mixed media on xuan paper, 85 x 45 cm, Collection of Studio of Gentleness and Ardour

4. Untitled (Mantis on Ladies Stocking)《無題（螳螂附絲襪）》

English:

廣東話:

普通話：

5. Chamber 1-2 “I use red because I like red” 展廳1-2「我用紅色因我喜愛紅色」

English:

廣東話:

普通話：

Life is a Many Splendored Thing V, 2006, Ink, color and acrylic on canvas, 100 x 211 cm , Reverie Collection

6. Life is a Many Splendored Thing No. 5 《燦爛生命之五》

English:

廣東話:

普通話：

7. Chamber 2 Her World Within 展廳2「她的內心世界」

English:

廣東話:

普通話：

Tree VII, 1970s ,Ink and color on xuan paper, 84.8 x 58.4 cm, Moqu Collection

8.Tree VII 《樹七》

English:

廣東話:

普通話：

Concentration, 1973, Ink and color on xuan paper, 179.7 x 95.5 cm, Gift of the artist, Collection of University Museum and Gallery, University of Hong Kong