Media

The University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG), The University of Hong Kong (HKU), is honoured to present Across Time and Space: Re-visiting Twentieth-Century Chinese Oil Paintings. Highlighting the versatile aspects of Chinese oil paintings across a diverse spectrum of themes, styles, techniques, time periods, and regional and local characteristics, the exhibition presents a remarkable depth and virtuosity. Works range from intimate interior views to panoramic coastal landscapes; from collective and individual memories to urban scenes that activate dialogues of painting practices across cross-cultural and cross-media encounters.

An opening ceremony of the exhibition was held at UMAG today (Mar 14). Officiating guests included HKU President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Zhang Xiang, HKU Dean of the Faculty of Arts Professor Derek Collins, HKU Museum Society Chairman Yvonne Choi and UMAG Director Dr Florian Knothe.

The selected works represent various artistic styles and visual trends along with artists’ evolving perceptions and sensitivities about the changing face of twentieth-century China. These rarely displayed works include paintings by iconic masters and influential art educators, including Liu Haisu (1896–1994) and Wu Guanzhong (1919–2010), paintings by talented artists who trained in China’s leading art academies in the second half of the twentieth century, as well as artists who were crucial to the development of the modern art scene in Hong Kong, such as Lee Byng (Li Bing, 1903–1994), Ng Po-wan (Wu Buyun, 1904–2001), Yee Bon (Yu Ben, 1905–1995) and Hon Chi-fun (Han Zhixun, 1922–2019).

In the early twentieth century, oil painting as a non-indigenous medium began to be taught in Chinese art academies. Over time, it has become a crucial and increasingly popular portal, inviting artists to explore cross-cultural dynamics and creative expression. We invite audiences to re-look at, re-encounter and re-experience these Chinese oil paintings and their sociocultural contexts, which is critical for understanding the broader category of twentieth-century Chinese paintings and their place within the narratives of art history.

For more images and captions of the exhibits, please click here.

Details of the Exhibition
Period: March 15, 2023 (Wednesday) to June 25, 2023 (Sunday)
Opening Hours:
9:30 am–6:00 pm (Tuesday to Saturday)
1:00 pm–6:00 pm (Sunday)
Closed on Mondays, University and Public Holidays
Venue: 1/F, T. T. Tsui Building, UMAG, HKU, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
Tel/Email: (852) 2241 5500 (General Enquiry) / museum@hku.hk
Admission: Free
Website: https://umag.hku.hk/exhibition/across-time-and-space-re-visiting-twentieth-century-chinese-oil-paintings/

Connect with UMAG on Social Media:
Facebook: http://bit.ly/umag_facebook
Instagram: @umag_hku, #UMAG, #AcrossTimeAndSpace, #ChineseOilPaintings
YouTube: http://bit.ly/umag_youtube
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/umag_linkedin
Weibo: @香港大學美術博物館 UMAG

About University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong (UMAG)
UMAG was founded in 1953 as the Fung Ping Shan Museum. It was originally established as the Fung Ping Shan Library in 1932 in honour of its benefactor. For more information on UMAG, please click here.

Media Enquiries
Ms Elena Cheung | Curator (Education), UMAG | Tel: (852) 2241 5512, Email: elenac@hku.hk
Ms Connie Liu | Senior Project Assistant, UMAG | Tel: (852) 3917 5805, Email: fmttm@hku.hk