Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hon Chi Fun is a native artist who actively witnessed and participated in the birth of contemporary art in Hong Kong. Local critic Shum Long Tin will give an overview of Hon’s artistic career and styles, with a focus on his signature pieces from different periods. A conversation between Hon and Shum will follow, revisiting the very essence of Hon’s artistic creation, and his perspectives on perceptual aesthetic judgment, Taoism, and phenomenology.
About the speakers
Born in Hong Kong in 1922, Hon Chi Fun studied at Wah Yan College in Kowloon. In 1956, Hon taught himself to paint, drawing inspiration from Western art movements. In 1964, Hon co-founded the Circle Art Group and was awarded the Gold Medal at the Third Hong Kong International Salon of Paintings in the same year. In 1969, Hon was awarded the JDR III Fellowship Fund and lived in New York as an artist-in-residence for a year. Despite his advancing years, Hon has continued to play an active part in art circles in recent years. His works are collected by museums and private collectors in Hong Kong and many other countries. Hon has used different techniques and media in his artwork. His titles always provide hints to the stories behind his paintings. His works reflect his search to understand life, the spirit, the universe, and Buddhist and Taoist philosophies.
Shum Long Tin is an experienced editor and journalist who writes criticism and reviews of cinema, theatre, books, and cultural phenomenon. He is currently a part-time Lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and has published more than twenty books.
