Hon Chi Fun's Perspective @91 Exhibition
2013-09-10
Hongkong Land Unveils Exhibition Showcasing 50-year Career of
One of Hong Kong’s Most Influential Artists
A new generation of Asian Cultural Council fellows celebrate one of the earliest ACC grant recipients - Hon Chi Fun - on the occasion of his 91st birthday.
HONG KONG, 10th September 2013 - Hongkong Land and the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) co-present Hon Chi Fun’s Perspective @91, an exhibition showcasing highlights from the 50-year career of one of Hong Kong’s most influential modern artists. This vibrant retrospective exhibition has also been organised with support from the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
Hon Chi Fun’s Perspective @91 continues a long association between Hongkong Land and Hon, beginning with a commissioning of four large scale works of art in the 1980s. These iconic paintings from “The Making of the Spheres” series continue to be on display in Jardine House and exemplify the longstanding commitment of Hongkong Land in supporting the arts for the community’s appreciation and enjoyment.
Mr Y K Pang, Chief Executive of Hongkong Land, said, “We are delighted to showcase the work of a true modern master with the Hon Chi Fun’s Perspective @91 exhibition. Given Hon’s prominent status in the regional art scene, we expect this to be one of the city’s must-see events of the year.”
A self-taught painter, Hon is one of the first artists to blend traditional Chinese ink painting with western techniques. The 24 works of art featured in the retrospective exhibition chart more than five decades of Hon’s celebrated career from his early oil on board landscapes to the evolution of his unique abstract style, including a new piece just completed this year.
ACC, in its original incarnation as the John D. Rockefeller 3rd Fund, played a pivotal role in the early career of Hon, with the awarding of a fellowship that offered him overseas exchange experience in the United States, leading to an important transformation of perspective for the artist.
“Our inaugural collaboration with Hongkong Land on this exhibition is exceptionally significant as it coincides with two very special occasions, our organisation’s 50th anniversary and the artist’s 91st birthday. Hon Chi Fun was one of ACC’s first grant fellows in Hong Kong in 1968 and we are happy to be announcing the newest cohort of ACC fellows also on this occasion. This exhibition signifies a ‘passing of the torch’ from the senior generation to the newer era of up and coming artists who are receiving ACC Fellowships,” said Hans Michael Jebsen, Chairman of the ACC Friends’ Committee.
The artist, Hon Chi Fun, said, “As I look back over the pieces in this exhibition and reflect on my life as an artist, it is humbling to recognise the incredible amount of support I have received from the people of Hong Kong and many organisations here, including, of course, Hongkong Land, ACC and the Hong Kong Museum of Art. I am truly thankful to all the wonderful people who have helped me over the years.”
Hongkong Land is a pioneer in the use of commercial property to display works of art, providing a unique platform for artwork from both emerging artists to modern masters of the 20th century to be enjoyed against the backdrop of one of the busiest business and leisure districts in Hong Kong.
ACC is a non-profit organisation established in 1963 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd which has supported cultural exchange in the arts between the United States and Asia and amongst the countries of Asia. Fellowships are annually awarded to artists, scholars, as well as arts and humanities professionals with the highest level of artistic standing who are also influential catalysts in their local communities. The 2013 ACC fellows from Hong Kong are Kingsley Ng, Tang Kwok Hin, Wong Wing Sze, Vince Chua and Angus Ngai.
Hon Chi Fun’s Perspective @91 will be on display daily from today to 29th September 2013 at The Rotunda at Exchange Square in CENTRAL.