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In June 2002, Professor Shiu Hon Wong donated 248 pieces of Chinese art, antiquities, ceramics and wood carving to the Tasmanian Museum and
Art Gallery (TMAG). "My Journey as an Artist" is published in September 2005 by the TMAG to accompany the exhibition Eloquent Objects: the Wongs'
Collection of Chinese Antiquities & Artefacts
Sit-Ling Tull, Murdoch University Library I have been involved with painting since I was a young boy. My interest in painting was, conceivably, inherited from my late father, a noted connoisseur and collector of Chinese art. It was his encouragement that launched me onto the path of painting. At the age of nine I studied Chinese painting in Hong Kong under the successive tutelage of two very famous artists: Li Fenggong and Liang Boyu. They taught me the basic skills of flower-and-bird and landscape painting. In under three years I was bold enough to hold the first exhibition of my work. The success of that exhibition gave me confidence and began a lifelong association with painting. For over five decades I have made strenuous efforts in the pursuit of my artistic expression. In Chinese painting, the traditional method of teaching was for the teachers to demonstrate and for the students to then go home and try to copy their teachers' work. At the imitation stage of my journey as an artist - which spanned twenty years from the 1950s to the 1960s - I studied the works of my teachers closely to familiarise myself with the basics of brush-work. I then tried to widen my exposure to famous works of art, both ancient and contemporary, and to analyse their strong points. My father's collection provided me with ample opportunities to view a large number of classical paintings by well-known masters. I also travelled extensively, and wherever I went I made a point of visiting local museums and art galleries to study the distinctive styles of the works in their collections. These experiences left long-lasting impressions on my mind. During the period in which I devoted myself to imitation, I did not think of developing a distinctive or personal painting style because I considered I still had a long way to go in the pursuit of this art form. Aside from practising my techniques, I cultivated an interest in the development of Chinese painting through study and research. I gained much enlightenment through the acquisition of knowledge, and have written numerous articles and published four books on Chinese painting over the years. In the 1970s, after I had acquired a fairly good mastery of the various techniques of Chinese painting, I began to think of original creation. At that time all I wanted to experience was change. I began to explore traditional techniques and to work in every category of Chinese painting - flower-and-bird, landscape, figure and miscellaneous subjects. In 1976 I joined the newly established Murdoch University, in Perth, Western Australia, and in that year I mounted my first one man show in that state. The exhibition aroused great interest in the community. One of the immediate repercussions of which was that I was asked to start a course on Chinese art at Murdoch University. The course attracted a large number of students and was most encouraging and rewarding. The years from 1976 to 1980, when I was lecturing at Murdoch University, were very productive as far as my painting was concerned. I also taught a course on Chinese painting at the Fremantle Arts Centre, which attracted considerable numbers. As a result of the students' interest and enthusiasm, the Chinese Brush Painting Society was formed to promote the art of traditional Chinese painting. Between 1970 and 1980 I worked assiduously to develop a new and distinctive style, and attempted many different approaches: traditional, modern, figurative and non-figurative or abstract. After numerous attempts, I came to realise I could discover my real "self" in the great tradition. And so, from the 1980s onwards, I steered myself back into the path of the great tradition. I had returned to where I had started! I feel much more comfortable and am now happy being a traditional artist. I advance more confidently with the flow of the great tradition. I strongly believe that great traditions, being the root of every form of art, provide the basis for becoming a good artist. Chinese art must seek its roots in the Chinese tradition if it is to occupy any position in the world. Not content with following any single school of painting, I have drawn inspiration from the great masters, both ancient and contemporary. I am also continually striving to evolve a distinctive style of my own, rich in the unsophisticated yet vigorous and powerful qualities of traditional Chinese art. Having decided to commit to the great tradition, I started to place great emphasis on brush-work and composition in my paintings, as these are the two essential ingredients in any picture. Many traditional Chinese artists advocate that the structural method in the use of the brush as of prime importance, helping to bring out the rhythmic vitality and life movement in the painting. The Chinese artist expresses his emotions or feelings by means of lively strokes or lines in brush-work. He joins the strokes or line together in harmony or in rhythm to create a form that expresses what is in his mind. Without one's own style of brush-work one can never become a real artist. I also believe that composition is as important as brush-work in painting. Good composition gives the painting a rhythmic nature, which in turn adds vitality and life-movement. In fact, these two elements - the structural method in the use of the brush and composition - are closely related to Chinese calligraphy, another important art form in Chinese culture. Many artists believe that calligraphy is the purest form of Chinese art. The strokes or lines in Chinese traditional painting are predominantly calligraphic. To the Chinese, painting and calligraphy are derived from the same source - ancient Chinese scripts, in particular the seal script. Many believe that one can never become an outstanding traditional Chinese painter of one does not excel at Chinese calligraphy. I think there is very good reason to abide by this opinion. Aside from these two elements, there are other factors in Chinese traditional painting that are worthy of note. The first is the treatment and design of form and colour. Form and colour need not be exact, because Chinese traditional painting is, to a certain extent, semi-abstract in nature. As long as beautiful and expressive brush-work can be found in the painting, form and colour are of only secondary importance. Their importance cannot be compared with brush-work and composition, which give rhythmic vitality and life-movement to the painting, without which it has no life. At the same time, the representation of form and colour in Chinese traditional painting is relatively simple when compared to their representation in Western painting. Chinese artists believe that the simpler the form and colour are, the closer they will be to attaining the essence of their subject. They believe that as long as they can capture the spirit of the subject they need not pay too much attention to the accuracy of form and colour. Viewers may also have noticed that very often in a Chinese traditional painting a large area of the paper is untouched, leaving a considerable empty space. This, in fact, is an organic or essential part of the painting. In landscape painting, the empty space usually represents the sky, clouds, mist, or water. In flower-and-bird painting it normally represents the sky. While in figure painting it represents the sky and the ground. So, in Chinese traditional painting, we can say that empty space is part of the painting - an essential part of it. The artist does not leave any part of his painting untouched randomly or without purpose. He has to be sure how much blank space his painting needs and the disposition of it requires a high degree of judgment. The objects in the painting must have enough room to breathe! The artist also deliberately leaves part of his painting untouched in order to allow the viewer to fill it with their own scenery, imaginings or feelings. Inscriptions and seals are often found in the empty spaces of a painting, and they form an integral part of it. Most of them serve to add beauty to the painting. A good artist knows exactly how many inscriptions and how many seals he should use. The subjects of inscriptions are very varied, ranging from the name of the artist to a short note about the painting. Some inscriptions help to evoke a deeper appreciation of the painting. Sometimes they are written by people other than the artist and it is a common practice in art circles for an artist to invite friends or fellow artists to write a poem or poems in beautiful calligraphy on a favourite painting. The artist believes that such inscriptions will help to add weight to his work. In fact, the best calligraphy found on a painting is that which is in harmony with the style of the painting. Seals, like inscriptions, also play an important part in Chinese traditional painting. The disposition of seals is of utmost importance. They should not be placed casually in the painting but should be placed in a position that complies with the work's overall composition. There must be a close relationship and harmony of forms between the seals and the composition of the painting. The seals are usually red in colour. There are several types, and although some of them show the names or aliases of the artist, some serve purely decorative purposes. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to explain what traditional Chinese artists think of copying. Many Chinese artists, even very famous ones, spend a lot of time copying past masters' works. They firmly believe that through copying the ancient models will be perpetuated. Copying masterpieces from the history of Chinese painting is not done for its own sake, nor just to learn the skills of the old masters. Copying is in fact the proper way to preserve these works and the correct way of carrying on the great tradition of Chinese painting. While many works are faithfully reproduced, others are powerfully transformed into personal interpretations. A good copy of a masterpiece is in fact another work of art. Looking back over the past fifty years or so of my artistic journey, I cannot help smiling. One of the driving reasons for my early retirement from the University of Hong Kong seven years ago was my strong desire to become a full-time artist. I have always believed that if one is truly devoted to art, one must be able to experience great pleasure - the pleasure of life. It is indeed a great privilege for me to be given the opportunity to hold an exhibition of my work at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, because I think this form of art, though it has a long history, is fairly new to the Tasmanian community. I must express my special thanks to Mr Bill Bleathman, Director of TMAG, and Mr Peter Hughes, Curator of Decorative Arts, for their support and assistance. To all the staff of TMAG who have helped in the mounting of the displays, my deepest gratitude. To those who are not familiar with the art of Chinese painting I sincerely hope that this modest exhibition will help to arouse their interest in this splendid art form. August 2005 |