Brief Overview
In 2015, the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Hong Kong Art History Research Society started a collaborative research project entitled "A Survey of Western Media Art in Pre-1960s Hong Kong (Phase I)". Its aim was to investigate the development of art-making in Western media in Hong Kong from the early 1930s to the pre-1960s. The research focuses on artists who had received formal art training overseas and then returned to Hong Kong during the 1930s.
As there was a serious lack of data and research on early Hong Kong artists who specialised in Western media, this research project focuses on the biographical studies, education and artworks of this group of Hong Kong artists and collected related materials to examine their contribution to the Hong Kong art scene. It was hoped that the research result could deepen the understanding of the history of Hong Kong art.
The project covered six Hong Kong artists, namely Luis Chan, Chan Shek-kwan (G T Chan), Chen Shou-soo, Lee Byng, Wong Chiu-foon and Yee Bon. A detailed report and a large amount of data have been collected. Interviews with some of the artists' descendants now living around the world were conducted. A considerable number of primary research materials were compiled, contributing significantly to the formation of an important archive.
On 13 December 2015, the findings of the research project were presented to the public in a seminar.
To review the seminar, please click on the hyperlinks:
The Development of Western Media Art in Early Hong Kong (Cantonese)
"Painting On and On" Project (Cantonese)
Painting across Time and Space (Cantonese)
The interviews about the 6 artists can be viewed on-site by appointment. Please refer to the FAQs for details.