.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
As a British colony adjacent to Guangdong province, Hong Kong was the ideal refuge for Chinese people during the Japanese occupation of their country in the 1930s. Chinese artists, including T'ing Yin-Yung, Gao Jianfu, Lie Tiefu, Feng Gangbai, Huang Xinbo, Li Bing, and those of a younger generation, such as Ng Po Wan and Yee Bon, held joint exhibitions during their stays. With local artists such as Chan Hoi Ying, Louis Chan, Xu Dongbai and Zhou Gong Lei, they built a new force in the Hong Kong art circle.
Chan Hoiying, the pupil closest to Lie Tiefu, was not only representative of early Hong Kong oil painting, but also a pioneer of local art education. In addition to participating in exhibitions, he founded the Hong Kong Academy of Fine Arts, the first of the type in the region, in a bid to complete his master's unfulfilled aesthetic dream. The institute has played a crucial role in fostering the development of painting in Hong Kong. Chan insisted that "An artist must be passionate to be creative and make touching works. He must keep a calm mind so as to avoid trends and not pursue undeserved reputations."
Chan's outstanding painting technique saw him named 'Best Portrayal Artist' in an international competition hosted by the Portrait Society of America in 1994. Wide recognition of his talent has also been demonstrated by such large-scale solo exhibitions as 'Retrospective of Hoi-ying Chan', hosted by the Taiwan Museum of Art in 1993, and 'Hong Kong Artists III - Chan Hoi Ying', hosted by the Hong Kong Museum of Art 2002. As well as his figure portrayals, Chan is renowned for his works on still objects, which reveal the strength of life. In the richly layered Moon Cakes and Wine (Lot 272), four ripe tangerines are set at the centre and bottom left and right corners. The tilted lines of a knife and the vertical lines of a glass bottle enlarge the visual space. Chan's tactful blend of western classical realist oil painting techniques and impressionist drawing contributes to the unique mix of dark yet sharp colours in lively brushstrokes. Precise touches of detail reveal the texture of the moon-cake. The artist skillfully applied contrasting yet matching colours at varying thicknesses to evoke the unique atmosphere of Chinese traditional festivals.
Chan Hoiying, the pupil closest to Lie Tiefu, was not only representative of early Hong Kong oil painting, but also a pioneer of local art education. In addition to participating in exhibitions, he founded the Hong Kong Academy of Fine Arts, the first of the type in the region, in a bid to complete his master's unfulfilled aesthetic dream. The institute has played a crucial role in fostering the development of painting in Hong Kong. Chan insisted that "An artist must be passionate to be creative and make touching works. He must keep a calm mind so as to avoid trends and not pursue undeserved reputations."
Chan's outstanding painting technique saw him named 'Best Portrayal Artist' in an international competition hosted by the Portrait Society of America in 1994. Wide recognition of his talent has also been demonstrated by such large-scale solo exhibitions as 'Retrospective of Hoi-ying Chan', hosted by the Taiwan Museum of Art in 1993, and 'Hong Kong Artists III - Chan Hoi Ying', hosted by the Hong Kong Museum of Art 2002. As well as his figure portrayals, Chan is renowned for his works on still objects, which reveal the strength of life. In the richly layered Moon Cakes and Wine (Lot 272), four ripe tangerines are set at the centre and bottom left and right corners. The tilted lines of a knife and the vertical lines of a glass bottle enlarge the visual space. Chan's tactful blend of western classical realist oil painting techniques and impressionist drawing contributes to the unique mix of dark yet sharp colours in lively brushstrokes. Precise touches of detail reveal the texture of the moon-cake. The artist skillfully applied contrasting yet matching colours at varying thicknesses to evoke the unique atmosphere of Chinese traditional festivals.