Big Applauses from Kiwi Visitors for Professor Kuo’s Traditional Chinese Painting Exhibition
To mark Professor Kuo Yen-Chiao’s 100 years old birthday, Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery Christchurch has launched the Professor Kuo Yen-Chiao’s Traditional Chinese Painting Exhibition’. The Exhibition, with more than 30 Professor’s masterpieces, started on 8th August 2020 and will end on 13th December 2020. Since its opening, the Exhibition has generated great interests among the general public and all these while, Professor’s daughter, Louisa, has personally acted as a guide in the Exhibition.
New Zealand artist Keith Morant and wife Tricia visited the Exhibition on 9th August 2020 and were amazed by the beauty and quality of Professor’s paintings. Keith commented that though he did not quite understand traditional Chinese painting, he discovered that there was a major difference between Western and Eastern paintings. In Western paintings, the sceneries painted and the words written are all carried out in a horizontal direction, i.e. from left to right; whereas, in traditional Chinese paintings, they are all done vertically, from top to bottom. From the paintings, Keith could see how, by the exquisite use of fine lines, Professor was able to carve out the characters, bridges, buildings and sceneries in his paintings. Other than the beautiful paintings, Keith felt that the floral arrangements by Gallery Curator Abbess Manshin have greatly enhanced the atmosphere by making the venue livelier and more stereoscopic.
Visitors to the Exhibition, Marcus Hall and wife, were deeply impressed by Professor’s art pieces. Marcus commented that the abundant colors used in Western paintings leave little room for one’s imagination. Whereas, the black and white tones of the traditional Chinese paintings are better able to bring out the exquisite skills of the artists and the intended meanings in the paintings. Marcus also observed that when appreciating a painting from near, he felt like being sucked into the scenery and becoming part of it. But when viewing the painting from afar, he was able to embrace the majesty of the overall scenery portrayed, a totally different sensation. Marcus remarked that, from the floral arrangements by Gallery Curator Abbess Manshin, he could feel Abbess’s dedication and seriousness in her works. Marcus was particularly attracted by the floral presentation Autumn in Xiang Dong and he commented that paintings and flowers could indeed complement each other well. Marcus plans to revisit the Exhibition again, quite sure that it will bring him another different experience.
Professor Kuo started to learn traditional Chinese painting since the age of 8 years old and had acquired strong artistic skills through his many years of practice. He used to carry with him a set of pencil and sketch book to make prompt sketches of beautiful sceneries he might encounter. Based on these sketches, he would afterwards transform the sceneries into paintings. Most of the times, Professor would produce paintings of rugged mountains, and other than the famous mountains of Taiwan, Professor had also painted sceneries of many countries he visited throughout his life. Hs paintings had won numerous awards and had been exhibited in Taiwan, USA, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Professor Kuo’s masterpieces had been exhibited at FGY Art Gallery Christchurch in 2003 and 2008, and had received high acclaims each time. Professor Kuo passed away in the year 2015, and to allow New Zealand public to once again enjoy Professor’s masterpieces, his daughter Louisa, this time around, decided to hold the Exhibition a 3rd time at the same Art Gallery. To enhance the solemnity of the Exhibition, the venue was decorated with specially prepared Chan’ floral artworks by FGY Curator Abbess Manshin. Deemed as a major cross-cultural event in New Zealand, Professor Kuo Yen-Chiao’s Traditional Chinese Painting Exhibition will be held till 13th December 2020.