Hon Chi-fun energize new breakthrough ink art
Contemporary Chinese ink painting by Hon Chi-fun
Untitled, 1963, Oil on canvas, Hon Chi-fun
Hon Chi-Fun transform traditional Chinese ink
The ink paintings of Hon Chi-fun is presented in the exhibition Hong Kong Experience – Hong Kong Experiment.
Chinese ink painting emerged during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). At that time, they were painted on silk (until the invention of paper in the first century), using animal hairbrush pens and black ink made from pine soot and animal glue.
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Over the decades before and after the two World Wars, an unrestrained collision between Eastern and Western ideas of art took place in Hong Kong.
Untitled, detail, 1963, Oil on canvas
When economic prosperity allowed art to flourish, traditional Chinese ink painting and western abstract expressionism fought it out.
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The exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art brings together an eclectic mix that highlights fifty years of a changing art scene and showcases the creative talent working locally, who pushed the evolution of artistic styles and methods.
Since 1962, the Hong Kong Museum of Art has added works of local artists to its permanent collection.
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Easily overlooked are the Chinese ink paintings in the collection. To the uninitiated, traditional ink paintings all look remarkably similar, and without an understanding of the history and techniques involved, they may be difficult to appreciate.
However, the last 100 years has seen an intersection of eastern and western art influence this traditional Chinese art form. The evolution of Chinese ink painting is represented by many fine examples in this exhibit.
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With Chinese ink painting, colours could be used, but only sparingly. Because paper absorbs ink quickly, marks had to be applied quickly and spontaneously. Artists would invest years learning the subtleties of making confident lines and strokes.
Ink was applied quickly on paper and silk scrolls
Very much like Chinese calligraphy, ink paintings were created fluidly with brushes dipped in pigment and applied rapidly on paper and silk scrolls.
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Subjects varied, but traditionally included landscapes, flora and fauna. For centuries, not much changed until the beginning of the twentieth century.
Untitled, detail, 1963, Oil on canvas
Traditional conservative artists would argue that a work may only be considered an ink painting if it fulfils the above technical requirements.
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Modern liberal artists posit that regardless of its medium, subject or style, a work can be an ink painting if it has characteristics that link it back to the traditional art form.
It is with this background that we see how art history parallels political history and cultural shifts.
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Local artist Hon Chi-fun (1922-2019) grew up in Pok Fu Lam and learned Chinese and traditional calligraphy under a Confucian master and English teacher from the Catholic Wah Yan Boy’s School.
Hon invested in creating landscapes and portraits
His first job was as a postal inspector, but it was never his career. After World War II, he taught himself to paint. In the 1950s and ’60s, every spare moment was invested in creating landscapes and portraits.
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The 1960s were turbulent times, and the Cultural Revolution, riots in Hong Kong, the Beatles and pop art all convinced him to change from realism to abstract art.
In 1963, Hon co-founded the Circle Art Group, a pioneering modernist art group in Hong Kong.
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In 1969 he received the John D Rockefeller III Award which allowed him to study lithography and etching for a year at the Pratt Graphics Centre in New York.
Hon was one of the first Hong Kong artist to bridge the gap between traditional Chinese calligraphy and modern art.
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By the 1970s his talent was recognized, and he no longer needed to support himself as a postal inspector.
Text Martin Wray / Photos Cammy Yiu
