HKPM is the Hong Kong ‘branch’ of the Palace Museum located in the Forbidden Palace in Beijing, China. So it already boasts a stunning display of artworks and artefacts in the galleries. This exhibition is, to me, extra special as HKPM collaborated with Château de Versailles to bring almost 150 artefacts together from both collections to explore how China and France mutually inspired and influence each other during the 17th and 18th centuries. Cross-cultural interactions between China and Europe, especially during the eighteenth century, is exactly the line of research that I’m getting more and more interested in these days!

Setting the Scene: The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles

The opening video piece, titled Symphony of Time and Space: The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles, immerses you in the architectural spaces of the Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles. I loved the shots where details from both palaces are juxtaposed against each other.

In the centre of the gallery is the display of the elaborate key used to open the main door of the Royal Chapel of Versailles. It’s shown alongside the Qing emperor’s seal and a jade book recording Qianlong Emperor’s Ten Great Campaigns.

Louis in Versailles

The first artwork we encounter in the exhibition is the famous portrait of Louis XIV — an excellent choice! The original Portrait of Louis XIV by Hyacinthe Rigaud was made in 1701, which now resides in the Musée du Louvre. The image of the Sun King was so popular that Rigaud made numerous copies, like this one shown here. I still remember my professor in my first-year art history class enthusiastically telling us that Louis XIV wanted to show off his regal legs… because he was known to be a great dancer! I was so excited to see this painting and I struck my best dancing pose, hahaha!

I was very taken by the fine rendering of Louis XV’s clothing and regalia in Drouais’ portrait. Another example of a beautiful portrait of a Louis.

The Qing Emperors

As the exhibition covers the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the artefacts on show cover a few generations of Louis’s and Qing emperors. In France, we begin with the Sun King Louis XIV (r. 1643–1715), his great-grandson Louis XV (r. 1715–1774), and finally Louis XV’s grandson Louis XVI (r. 1774–1792). Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were guillotined in 1793, but this exhibition doesn’t touch on the grisly revolution in France at the end of the eighteenth century.

In contrast, this period saw the ‘golden age’ of the Qing dynasty. The three most powerful emperors of their time: Kangxi Emperor 康熙帝 (r. 1662–1722), his son Yongzheng Emperor 雍正帝 (r. 1723–1735), and the Yongzheng Emperor’s son Qianlong Emperor 乾隆帝 (r. 1735–1796).

My favourite Chinese portrait was of the Yongzheng Emperor. In this hanging scroll Yongzheng Emperor holds a ruyi (如意). The ceremonial sceptre is so named to symbolise good fortune, but also acts as a means to display sovereignty. I also couldn’t help but notice his sharp, pointy nails…? Qianlong Emperor also grew long nails — as you can see below, alongside the exquisite details of his court attire. The dragon motifs, of course, represent the emperor.

Everyday Life

The next section of the exhibition focused on the everyday objects that populated both of the royal residences. Some objects were made in France and given to the Chinese court, and vice versa. Most of these objects in this section were scientific instruments, reflecting the scientific exchanges between China and France (particularly in Europe’s Age of Enlightenment) during this period.

The interest in science also meant the proliferation of these wonderful and strange-looking clocks in the Chinese courts! These are ‘musical automation clocks’ as elements of the clock, such as the green palm trees in the clock pictured above, would turn and rotate while music played. It’s like how wind-up music toys work, but in fancy, ornately decorated gold clocks that also tell the time.

Porcelain Trianon and Madame de Montespan

I loved learning about Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart, more commonly known as Madame de Montespan. A formidable woman known for her beauty and wit, she officially became Louis XIV’s mistress in 1674. Madame de Montespan ousted the preceding woman for the role before she was eventually ousted herself… This portrait depicts Madame de Montespan when she was around 23 years old, a few years before she worked her way into Louis XIV’s affections.

Louis XIV had the Porcelain Trianon (Trianon de Porcelaine) built near Versailles in 1670 for Madame de Montespan. What was special about the site was how it was decorated to resemble the blue-and-white porcelain that originated from China. The blue and white tiles used to decorate the pavilions of the residence were however made of faience (earthenware), as Europeans had yet to discover the ‘secret’ step in the process of creating porcelain. By 1687, the Trianon de Porcelaine was demolished. The building was simply too costly to maintain. At the same time, Madame de Montespan had fallen out of favour with Louis XIV.

Porcelain in France

In the 1760s, the good people of Sèvres Manufactory in France finally cracked the code in making porcelain: the incorporation of kaolin clay in the recipe. The French could now make porcelain vases of their own (instead of relying on Chinese imports). Although inspired by Chinese designs, the pair of vases pictured above still look very European to me with the style of the cartouche and the lion head handles.

It was common for gold mounts to be added to Chinese porcelain vases in French collections. The Ge porcelain is distinctive for its crackled glaze — so unique and beautiful. This perfume fountain belonged to Louis XV and was kept in his wardrobe!

Madame de Pompadour

From 1745 to 1751, Madame de Pompadour was the official mistress of Louis XV. After stepping down from her role, she became Louis XV’s confidante and political advisor, and continued to be highly influential in the French court. I remember learning so much about her portraits in French art history classes. She commissioned various portraits by leading French artists of the day, as a means to secure power in her public position.

Drouais’ Portrait of Madame Pompadour appears to be related to the larger-scale Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame, 1763–4, in the collection of the National Gallery, London. Madame de Pompadour is depicted in the same bonnet and dress with the striped ribbons and flower pattern. In Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame, Drouais expands the image to show Madame de Pompadour working at a tapestry in her salon at her apartment in Versailles.

Made in France

This exquisite Chrysanthemum pot was commissioned by imperial order in Beijing. Previously thought to have made in Guangdong, the pot was in actuality made in France and later shipped to Beijing. The enameller Joseph Coteau had convincingly painted flowers on the pot’s body in a ‘Chinese style’. On the bottom of the pot is Qianlong Emperor’s collection mark「乾隆年制」and — as recently discovered by the Palace Museum — Joseph Coteau’s signature ‘Couteau’ on the edge.

Similarly, this ewer with stylised lotus scroll was made in France and then sent to Beijing. It was a part of Qianlong Emperor’s collection, with his collection mark「乾隆年制」indicated on the bottom.

French and Chinese Aesthetics

This case of the lobed flower basket with peonies is a very interesting one! In 1775, Qianlong Emperor ordered replicas to be made of ten pieces of enamelware from the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods. Craftsmen in Guangdong and France were tasked to re-create the same flower basket, but there are slight differences. I prefer the more saturated blue colour of the French basket (pictured right), and the painting style of the flowers and leafs. On the other hand, I like the paler yellow on the exterior of the Guangdong basket. The Guangdong basket also appears more functional with the rectangular handle and the slight inward curve of the rim of the basket.

Portraits of Marie and Marie

Queen Marie Leszczyńska, wife of Louis XV, was a fan of Chinese culture and decor. She contributed to the making of the painting The Nanjing Market (below), reproduced from a Dutch illustration. The painting hung in the Chinese Chamber in Queen Marie’s private suite in the Palace of Versailles. Such scenes made by European travellers depicted everyday Chinese landscapes, but usually were error-prone or conjured imaginary pictures of China. The Nanjing Market pictures a row of shops with curved roofs and tall poles between them… It’s a strange and lively picture!

Marie Adélaïde was the daughter of Louis XV and Queen Marie. She is depicted in another gorgeous portrait by Nattier, where she holds a closed fan. The folding fan was a male accessory in China during this period. Interestingly, inspired by Chinese culture, the fan became a part of women’s fashion in the French court instead.

Crossing Cultures: China and France

A painted porcelain portrait! This portrait was based on the Jesuit Giuseppe Panzi’s original painting, who had served at the Qing imperial court. It’s a rare and fascinating depiction of a Chinese emperor through a European’s eyes and artistic style.

I enjoyed this interactive panel, which offered a contrasting view of Chinese and French portrait styles by comparing individual facial features between the Portrait of the Qianlong Emperor on porcelain plaque and other Chinese portraits.

During the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty, it was popular to incorporate images of European figures on decorative objects (as seen above). In parallel, eighteenth-century French art and aesthetics also included various scenes of Chinese figures — in the craze for chinoiserie. Clearly, both cultures were fascinated by the other. I still find these images of Europeans by Chinese craftsmen and those of the Chinese by European craftsmen mutually strange, though!

Final Work: Voltaire

The exhibition concludes with a Portrait of Voltaire. A key figure of the French Enlightenment, the writer and philosopher held a high regard for China.

I’m not very familiar with Voltaire’s work, but I shall leave you reader with two of my favourite quotes from him:

Let us read, and let us dance—two amusements that will never do any harm to the world.

Dictionnaire philosophique (1764) ‘Liberty of the Press’

Doubt is not a pleasant condition. But certainty is an absurd one.

Letter to Frederick the Great, 28 November 1770

The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles: China-France Cultural Encounters in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries ultimately focuses on the positive interactions between China and France during these years. Indeed, not everyone agreed with Voltaire in his admiration of China. That being said, I found it very refreshing to learn more about the sincere exchanges largely made between the two royal courts. The exhibition featured so many beautiful artworks, porcelain, and other decorative objects which was such a treat to see. I really hope to see more exhibitions featuring cross-cultural exchanges in the future!

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I spent some time in my undergraduate days studying art in Japan and ukiyo-e prints (and the topic of Japanese art was definitely very popular among Hong Kong students), but never had the chance to see them in person before. So Life in Edo was a real treat for me being able to view so many of them at one go, and by many masters of the genre too!

My favourite artwork is probably this opening print from the first rotation, which seems to encapsulate the best of ukiyo-e prints: a picture of Mount Fuji and beautiful women.

While this exhibition has closed in October, I still wanted to share my highlights from the two rotations! This (very long) post is split into two parts with images from the first and second rotations respectively. For easier reference, the images are also sectioned according to Travel, Beauty, Pets, Food, Gardens, Seasonal Festivals, and Paintings (roughly following the curatorial direction of the exhibition).

My main impression coming out of this exhibition is that I was quite surprised by how modern Edo life was! Although Edo Japan (also known as the Tokugawa period) is thought of as belonging to a traditional, feudal Japan before the modernisation of the succeeding Meiji period, I feel that these images show a developed society steeped in its own culture and customs — which is so fascinating. While Edo period (1603–1868) ran for a pretty long time, all of the prints and paintings shown below come from the 19th century. I’m sure that I’ve mentioned this on the blog before, but the 19th century remains my favourite period to look at in art history, and it’s very interesting to me to see how people from different cultures lived life then!

Part I: Travel

What a way to travel — A daimyo (feudal lord) sits safely inside his palanquin in the distance, though the women also get impeccable service with bearers literally ferrying them across the river.

Part I: Beauty

This part is really interesting, showing women making themselves up. There were also a few surprising standards of beauty, for example, according to the exhibition didactic, women blackened their teeth to indicate she was an adult or married, and women shaved their eyebrows after giving birth to her first child. You can see both examples in the prints above!

Part I: Pets (Lots of cats!)

So the Japanese love for cats goes way back! I love this print by Hiroshige showing a cat in a brothel (belonging to a courtesan) staring out the window at the festivities outside.

I should also mention here that I loved seeing all the intricate designs of the kimonos and clothing in Edo Japan — so gorgeous and creative! Some of the prints belong to a series, and this one comes from a series titled ‘Fabrics to Order in Current Taste’, which clearly shows the importance of being fashionable at the time.

I wasn’t expecting that dogs were popular among the Japanese, but the Japanese Chin was a popular pet! The two prints above Woman holding a Japanese Chin and Hydrangeas show a woman similarly posed with her pet dog in hand.

Goldfish were yet another popular pet to keep and admire in their glass containers, as seen here.

This giant Indian elephant was placed on show for many of the Japanese public to see for the first time, and which must been very fascinating for them at the point of time to see an ‘exotic’ animal. I’m assuming that the printmaker Yoshitoyo must have actually seen this elephant for himself, since the didactic states that he made a few prints of the elephant… See Dürer’s Rhinoceros (1515) for an alternative case in point!

Part I: Food

I love this picture of the first snowfall, where women gather at this soba peddler’s stall for a bowl of cosy hot soba. I also love the detail of the women’s dainty umbrellas / parasols — I’m sure there’s a correct term for this but I’ve no idea…

Part I: Gardens & Seasonal Festivals

The Doll Festival (Hinamatsuri) was celebrated for the young girls in the household when the peach trees were in bloom! As the name suggests, dolls were displayed in the home as part of the festival, which you can also see in this print.

Part I: Paintings

These ink paintings almost seem overlooked compared to the popular woodblock prints, but they are also made so gorgeously! They share similar subject matter with the prints — like images of women with their cats and dogs — but are much larger in scale, and the ink and colour are more finely rendered.

Part II: Travel

I would say that Hiroshige is simply masterful at depicting rain in prints. I don’t think that my camera very clearly captures the rain effect in this print, but even so, you can see those drifts of rain layered over the scenery.

Another famous, classic rainy work by Hiroshige is Sudden Shower over Shin-Ōhashi Bridge and Atake (1857), also from the series ‘One Hundred Famous Views of Edo’, view it here at the Met Museum. Another favourite artist of mine, Vincent van Gogh, was so inspired by Hiroshige’s print he made his own copy Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige) (1887), on view at the Van Gogh Museum. Actually, I must visit both the Met and the Van Gogh Museum! I just wonder when…

Part II: Beauty

Part II: Women and Pets

I wonder about the choice of depicting these women In front of the bathhouse (the didactic didn’t explain this point), but this is yet another lovely image of women in their patterned kinomos carrying their umbrellas / parasols on a snowy day.

This scene comes from ‘False Murasaki’s Rural Genji’, which was a parody of the Japanese classic ‘Tale of Genji’. To briefly summarise from the didactic, Prince Genji at the centre of the print is seen participating in a cherry blossom viewing festival (I like how there were whole festivals for this), while the Third Princess, later to be given in marriage to Genji, appears on her verandah on the right of the image with her cat on a leash. It’s all a parody — so some details have been altered from the original Tale.

I really like this print of a girl getting up close to her cat, because which pet owner hasn’t been crouched over playing with your pet before?

This print has an interesting perspective of a mother carrying her son on her back (if you zoom in to see it in more detail).

It’s so interesting how sometimes, these ukiyo-e prints don’t have a sense of ‘background’ with figures and objects appearing out of ‘nowhere’ on the print. This is a triptych that shows women in front of glass artworks at a handicraft show in Ryōgoku, Edo City, in 1819. From left, there is a glass model of a large hanging lantern, a display of live exotic birds, and on the most right — the most impressive to me — a glass model of a Dutch trading ship.

These two prints of foreigners in interior spaces were included near the Food/Gastronomy section of the second rotation. Although seemingly a bit random, these images of foreigners — specifically white foreigners — was of interest to the Japanese, especially as the Edo period was marked by 200 years of isolation from the rest of the world and the arrival of such foreigners was to lead to major changes ahead, i.e. the decline of the Tokugawa shogunate and the Meiji Restoration of 1868.

But before all that, artists like Yoshikazu made such “Yokohama prints”, so named as foreigners were restricted to living in the port city of Yokohama at the time. Foreigners’ residence in Yokohama depicts an imaginary scene; I’m not sure if Foreigners enjoying a party was taken from an actual scene. In any case, it’s interesting how the Japanese style of depicting people was applied to these Westerners!

Part II: Gardens

Part II: Seasonal Festivals

I didn’t know that the Japanese also celebrated this, but the Tanabata Festival is the celebration of the reuniting of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl once a year on the Magpie Bridge based on Chinese folklore. It’s also the basis of the Chinese Qixi Festival, colloquially known as the Chinese Valentine’s Day. In Tanabata Festival, the figures write their wishes on paper strips to be hung on bamboo branches, which is still practiced today.

Making rice dumplings here is actually the making of mochi! Mochi is made in preparation for the (Japanese) New Year.

According to the didactic, viewing cherry blossoms and gathering shellfish were two popular activities for the Edo people in spring. I love how Edo people also appreciated their cherry blossoms even then!

Part II: Paintings

I love these two ink paintings in particular! The second painting Parody of Onna San no Miya seems quite sensual, but I love the detail of the clear screen in front of the woman, which the cat at her feet is playing with. The translucency of the screen is so well-painted — I always seem to have a thing for well-painted translucent layers of curtains / clothing / screens, which I have definitely mentioned in other exhibition reviews!

Ending off this exhibition review with these test prints of Hokusai’s all-too-familiar South Wind, Clear Sky, also known as Red Fuji, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, c. 1830–32. See here the ‘completed’ version at the Met Museum.

Overall, I preferred the artworks in the first rotation to those in the second rotation. Either way, it was wonderful to see so many amazing works in one place. I’d recommend opening up these images and zooming in on the many details — especially the spectacular patterns of the clothing!

Life in Edo actually formed one half of the exhibition, the other half being Russel Wong in Kyoto featuring contemporary photographs of geiko in Kyoto — which I will also be sharing about separately!

If you would like to see more of the exhibition, check out ACM’s virtual gallery of the exhibition as well as a super cool digital experience of Utagawa Hiroshige’s Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō Road.

Find the links to the virtual gallery and the digital experience below:

Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto, available until the end of the year, 31 December 2021.

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| Cover picture: The Sun, Moon, and Five Peaks, 19th or early 20th century, six-fold screen; colour on silk |

The cover picture of this post is my favourite exhibit, located right at the opening of the exhibition. The motif of the sun, moon, and five peaks was specific to the Joseon court, and a screen with this design was always installed behind the king wherever he went. The various elements of the motif have different symbolism: the moon and sun being yin and yang, the five peaks representing the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, the water waves as a smooth circulation of the five elements, and finally the pine trees to represent the longevity of the king and the long reign of the Joseon dynasty.

Reproduction of jeogui, queen’s ceremonial robe, early 20th century, silk

Accessory case and hairpins

This elaborate and gorgeous robe was reserved for the queen to wear on the most formal occasions including her wedding, the wedding of the crown princess, and other state events. The hairpins accompany the look and were used to hold elaborate hairpieces. Confucianism formed the dominant ideology in Joseon Korea, and the designs of some of the hairpins are imbued with Confucian virtues. In fact, Confucianism discouraged material excessiveness and women didn’t accessorize much, apart from hairpins and rings.

Celebrating the Birth of Crown Prince Yi Cheok, 1874, ten-fold screen; ink and colour on silk

Reception of Japanese Envoys, 18th century, ten-fold screen; ink and colour on paper

I really liked looking at these screens! They are much bigger in real life than they appear in these pictures. It’s really nice tracking the narrative from one end to the other and seeing all that detail that spans the screen.

Rank badges: Crane and Tiger-Leopard, 19th century, silk on damask

Rank badges were worn on the front of court officials’ robes. Civil officials wore rank badges with birds that were associated with literary elegance, while military officials had rank badges with tigers or leopards that represented courage. I just really like how people back in the day incorporated these somewhat-subtle and intricate designs in their culture to communicate their taste and refinement.

Gathering of Literati with Deep Friendship, 1857, album; ink and colour on paper

Jeongnija type blocks, 1796 and 1858, bronze

The Hangul Edition of Minor Learning, printed in 1875, woodblock-printed book

Writing is of course a crucial component of a country’s history, and the invention of hangeul by the beloved King Sejong remains as Korea’s pride and joy. Back then, only the highly educated could learn to read and write in classical Chinese. The invention of hangeul allowed the vernacular language to be produced in a written script that people of all social classes could easily pick up.

That is a point that still remains today – the Korean language is considered an “easy” language to learn because learning the alphabet means that you can read and pronounce any Korean character (compared to say, Chinese characters). Although in my experience, learning any language also requires you to tackle grammar and vocabulary which didn’t make my Korean learning all that easy after all, LOL.

Mountain-shaped brush holder, 19th century, porcelain

I’d never expected brush holders to be so fancy! These kinds of brush holders were found on the desks of Joseon scholar-officials, essentially a highly educated man of the highest societal class, the yangban. The house on the mountain would have been seen as an existence away from worldly concerns which many literati desired and strived for.

Bookshelves, 19th or early 20th century, ten-fold screen; colour on silk

I need this in my future home next to a reading area or home library! (Yes, I like to dream big.) This great idea of having screens depicting bookshelves, called chaekgado, is believed to have been initiated by King Jeongjo known for his love of books and scholarship.

Im Huiji, Orchids, late 18th or 19th century, album leaf; ink on paper

I always love an ink painting simply created with a few strokes. Looks so carefree and easy, but probably very hard to execute in reality.

Bridal robe, late Joseon dynasty, embroidery on silk; Two wedding geese, early 20th century, wood

This hwarot (flower robe) is one that was worn by commoners on their wedding day, following the style of the embroidered overcoat usually worn by princesses. It’s definitely not as grand as the jeogui seen earlier, but still very pretty!

Norigae, early 20th century, embroidered silk

The norigae is an essential part of Joseon women’s dress. The hanbok originated in the Joseon dynasty and is now considered the traditional Korean costume. The women’s hanbok is made up of the top (jeogori) and skirt (chima) and the norigae is worn at the top of the chima along the side.

Norigae originally referred to “pretty and playful objects” but the term came to be used for these tasselled accessories. The norigae on the far left is probably the most standard form, while the one in the middle has an attached tiger claw design that is meant to drive away evil and protect the wearer from dangerous animals. The one on the far right has a pendant that is used as a perfume case!

Three-part norigae, early 20th century, silk with metal, jade, coral, amber, and malachite

This three-part norigae is the most elaborate form of norigae, with the three components representing harmony between heaven, earth, and man. While the ones above could be worn for everyday use, this three-part norigae was likely used for special occasions.

Child’s jacket, early 20th century; Headdress for first birthday, late 19th century, both embroidered silk

I love the cute jacket! The jacket was worn by children for traditional holidays and on their first birthday. The first birthday is an important occasion in Korean culture, with the highlight of the doljabi during which the kid chooses an item out of a range of objects (e.g. money, pencil, stethoscope) and this choice of item is meant to predict their future careers. I find this idea really fun and cute actually!

The rainbow-coloured (saekdong) sleeves also symbolize harmony and protection for the child to have a long, healthy, and prosperous life.

Ran Hwang, Becoming Again; Coming Together, 2017

After you’re done at the main exhibition hall on the second floor, you can head over to see Ran Hwang’s special installation held in conjunction with Joseon Korea located on the first floor. A video projection shows a couple in the middle of a marriage ceremony, and motifs of flowers, phoenixes, and more are auspicious symbols that indicate a happy marriage. Watch the video to see more!

This special installation by Ran Hwang is free for all museum visitors, while the main exhibition has paid entry. They are both showing till 23rd July 2017. Head over to their website to find out more details. In any case, most of the exhibits are on loan from the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Museum of Korea, both located in Seoul. So you know where to go if you want to see more! :D

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I got to see the Artist and Empire: (En)countering Colonial Legacies at National Gallery Singapore and Journey to Infinity: Escher’s World of Wonder at ArtScience Museum, and they are both great exhibitions to see! So excited to see how Singapore is growing its arts and culture scene. I’m going to have miss the January lineup in Singapore, but I’m back in Hong Kong to view other exhibitions!

SINGAPORE

Singapore’s busiest art month would be January, with two art fairs Art Stage Singapore 2017 (12 – 15 Jan) and Singapore Contemporary (19 – 22 Jan) and a slew of events, talks, and exhibitions making up Singapore Art Week (11 – 22 Jan).

The ongoing Journey to Infinity: Escher’s World of Wonder at ArtScience Museum (which I’ll be sharing about later) and Singapore Biennale 2016: An Atlas of Mirrors at Singapore Art Museum are also included in Singapore Art Week. I very highly recommend Journey to Infinity – a very comprehensive show of Escher’s works. I was waffling over whether or not to go to Singapore Biennale but I decided to pass on it this time.

A few more events part of Singapore Art Week that I wanted to highlight:

• Welcome to Birdhead World Again – Singapore 2016

Birdhead (鸟头) is a Chinese photographer duo and I’ve found their works to be pretty interesting. They are involved in ShanghART’s Southeast Asia residency program and traveled across various countries in SEA and are now exhibiting their photographs taken during their travels in Singapore.

9 December 2016 – 26 February 2017, ShanghART Singapore, 9 Lock Road, #02-22 Gillman Barracks, more info here.

• Public Art at Parkview Square

More public art in Singapore! This exhibition of public art includes a Botero sculpture as well as selected works from the exhibition On Sharks and Humanity organized by Parkview Arts Action which is dedicated to building environmental awareness through art (interesting!). On Sharks and Humanity is said to be forthcoming in Parkview Group’s upcoming private museum in Singapore.

Also, I did not know that Parkview Square was designed in the style of Art Deco! Honestly, I have never stopped by long enough to even look at it properly. I have a thing for Art Deco, so I should probably stop by and take a good look at the building next time.

11 – 31 January 2017, Parkview Square, 600 North Bridge Rd, Singapore, more info here.

• Glass Rotunda: Story of the Forest and Singapore, Very Old Tree

A digital art installation and photography installation that explores Singapore’s history at National Museum of Singapore, Singapore’s history museum. My sister visited the museum and said Story of the Forest was really impressive!

10 December 2016 – 22 January 2017, National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Road, more info here.

HONG KONG

• The World of Tim Burton

I was so so excited to hear that this exhibition was coming to Hong Kong, but my excitement totally deflated when I realized that tickets were going at HKD$180 (student tickets: $144)!!! That is way too much for me, especially when I’m used to going to most exhibitions in Hong Kong for free. For hardcore Tim Burton fans, this would be an amazing exhibition to see.

Note: Photography and video taking are not allowed in this exhibition (why…!!).

5 November 2016 – 23 January 2017, ArtisTree, 1/F Cornwall House, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, more info here.

• Ceremony and Celebration – The Grand Weddings of the Qing Emperors

I’m really interested to see this one! It would be fun to immerse in some Chinese traditional culture by looking at this collection of Qing wedding artifacts. Interestingly, in the long history of the Qing dynasty, only four emperors married an empress during their reign and had wedding ceremonies held in the Forbidden Palace. Also, this exhibition has a much more reasonable admission price.

30 November 2016 – 27 February 2017, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, 1/F Thematic Galleries 1, 2, 5 & Function Place, 1 Man Lam Rd, Sha Tin, more info here.

• Lost Treasures of the Shiqu Baoji in Hong Kong

A fitting accompanying exhibition to Ceremony and Celebration featuring Chinese paintings and calligraphy works of the Shiqu Baoji (石渠寶笈), an imperial collection of Chinese artworks during the Qianlong period. The exhibits belong to the Xubaizhai collection of Hong Kong Museum of Art, which is now closed for renovation until 2018. I finally get to see a bit of Hong Kong Museum of Art’s Chinese art collection!

30 November 2016 – 20 March 2017, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, 1/F Chao Shao-an Gallery, 1 Man Lam Rd, Sha Tin, more info here.

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GALLERY

• Anish Kapoor 

Anish Kapoor’s art is in Hong Kong! I think many people would know him for his Cloud Gate in Chicago (or the bean!). Gagosian gallery is showing the London-based sculptor’s works in his first solo exhibition in Hong Kong, which features some of his well-known mirrored sculptures. I liked seeing his mirrored works on the street (like the one shown above, also see this post) or in art fairs, as they reflect the people and environment around them, but it would be interesting to see how they work in a clean gallery space.

September 12 – November 5, 2016, Gagosian (Hong Kong), 7/F Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong, more info here.

ART FAIR

• Fine Art Asia 2016

The last art fair in Hong Kong’s art scene in the year, Fine Art Asia showcases art and antiquities from Asia, including Chinese material culture, decorative art, ink paintings, and contemporary art. It’s a different sort of art fair from most of the contemporary art fairs in Hong Kong, and I find it nice that it offers a different look at art.

2 – 5 October 2016, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, more info on ticketing and opening times here.

FESTIVAL

• 4th HKIPF (Hong Kong International Photo Festival)

HKIPF is a biannual festival that celebrates and promotes photography as an artistic medium, and comprises of a number of photography exhibitions. Two exhibition highlights:

• David Clarke and Xu Xi: Interruptions

Interruptions took on a refreshing form of exhibition in its combination of photography and writing. The exhibition starts with a photo by Clarke, which Xu responded to with an essay, which triggered the next photographic selection, and the cycle repeats for a total of 12 photos and essays. I recommend viewing the catalogue to read Xu’s essays in full!

14 September – 16 October 2016, University Museum and Gallery, The University of Hong Kong, more info here.

• Picturing Asia: Double Take – The Photography of Brian Brake and Steve McCurry

I find Steve McCurry’s photographs arresting and just really striking, so I’m happy to see more of Steve McCurry in Hong Kong! Asia Society’s current exhibition connects the two photographers Brian Brake and Steve McCurry in the way they gave the West “glimpses of the East,” and showcases some of their famous photographs, including Steve McCurry’s Afghan Girl.

10 September 2016 – 7 January 2017, Chantal Miller Gallery, Asia Society Hong Kong Center, 9 Justice Drive, Admiralty, Hong Kong, more info here.

• World Press Photo 2016

One of the key exhibitions of the HKIPF is World Press Photo 2016 opening at the end of the month, and it features over 150 photographs from the World Press Photo competition related to various topics. This one looks really really interesting, I’m excited to check it out!

L0 & L1 Gallery, Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre, Shek Kip Mei, 30 Pak Tin Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong, more info here.

MUSEUM

• Artist and Empire: (En)countering Colonial Legacies

After National Gallery Singapore’s first collaboration with Centre Pompidou for the exhibition Reframing Modernism (which I accidentally missed), National Gallery Singapore’s next collaboration is going to be with Tate Britain! Artist and Empire: (En)countering Colonial Legacies is going to be a Part II of Tate Britain’s exhibition Artist and Empire that ended April this year. Colonialism (and post-colonialism) is still very much a phenomenon that affects us in some way or another, and it would be interesting to see what and how the artworks would be presented especially from the perspective of the colonized.

I thought that I would have to miss this exhibition, but I’m happy to see it would be ongoing for a few months! I should probably be able to make it to Singapore within that time…

6 Oct 2016 – 26 Mar 2017, Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery, National Gallery Singapore, more info here.

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As a side note, the Museum is preparing for a renovation starting this year till 2018, and now only have five ongoing exhibitions including The Four Gentlemen while their permanent collection galleries are said to be “temporarily closed.” I would love it if I could explore their collection before they close it for the next 3 years!

Chinese paintings are drawn with black ink and a little color occasionally, so the overall effect is that the paintings appear a little dark. It doesn’t help that the lighting was kept low in the exhibition, though probably to protect the paintings as well.

Wu Tiansheng (act. ca. 1850 – 1880), Plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamboo, not dated, set of 4 hanging scrolls, ink on paper
吳恬勝，梅蘭菊竹，無年款，水墨紙本立軸四屏

The Four Gentlemen (四君子) refers to Plum Blossom (梅), Orchid (蘭), Chrysanthemum (菊) and Bamboo (竹). It’s an important facet of traditional Chinese culture, and something commonly known among Chinese people. This exhibition keeps it fresh by exhibiting relatively modern works by Chinese painters.

Objects in the study are often decorated with The Four Gentlemen, namely plum blossom, bamboo, orchid and chrysanthemum, because of their serene and leisurely charm that could purge the mind and purify the spirit.

Chen Jiru (陳繼儒) (1558-1639), Ming Dynasty

Plum Blossom – Unyielding Loyalty (梅 － 堅貞傲雪)

Wu Xuezao, Viewing plum blossoms in snow at night, dated 1891, hanging scroll, ink and color on paper
伍學藻，雪夜觀梅，1891 年款，水墨設色紙本立軸

Wu Xuezao’s Viewing plum blossoms in snow at night is said to be inspired by Lu You’s poetry. Lu You (1125-1210) was a Southern Song writer who was demoted from his political position due to differing ideals from the Jin dynasty rulers, and later turned to plum blossoms to assert his moral superiority.

There aren’t many Chinese paintings with people in them, given Chinese painters’ penchant for painting things of nature. At the very least, people are often drawn as part of a large setting and there is not much emphasis on how each person looks like. Since Wen’s work was in the 19th century, he probably took up the modern take on painting figures, and I really like the contrast between the lighter way the facial features and hands are drawn, and the way the robe is drawn with thin, darker, and more defined lines.

This is also in contrast to the setting with the more inky and defined plum blossoms and leaves, compared to the washed out grass, tree trunks, moon and skies.

Lu Zhenhuan, Viewing plum blossoms, dated 1925, hanging scroll, ink and color on silk
盧振寰，賞梅圖，1925 年款，水墨設色絹本立軸

This is one of my favourite pieces in the exhibition with its great geometric detail and again, contrast between the sharply defined rocks and trees in the foreground and the gray wash of the mountains in the background.

While looking at the painting again, I realized that it reminds me of Ren Xiong’s Myriad Valleys with Contending Streams in The Ten Myriads album (任熊，十萬圖冊，萬壑爭流), with a similar juxtaposition of the sharp lines of the rocks and the gentle curves of the waterfall. I really like that play with line and texture, and Lu somehow manages to combine all of these elements in one painting.

Wu Changshuo, Red plum blossoms and rock, dated 1921, hanging scroll, ink and color on paper
吳昌碩，紅梅圖，1921 年款，水墨設色紙本立軸

I was happy to see some paintings by Wu Changshuo having read about his works before. He was a painter of the Shanghai School (海上畫派) in the late 19th century and is known for applying epigraphic techniques to his work and developing a new style of ink painting. I really like how the plum blossoms are drawn so simply with small little circles, like it was almost effortless.

Ju Lian, Plum blossoms, dated 1887, album of 12 leaves (selection), ink on paper
居廉，梅花冊，1887 年款，水墨紙本十二開冊 （選展）

Here are my favorite album leaves by Ju Lian. I love the delicacy of the small paintings and the way Ju utilizes empty space, especially in the middle album leaf!

Orchid – Etheral Elegance (蘭 － 脫俗清幽)

Gao Jianfu, Ink Orchids, dated 1940, hanging scroll, ink on paper
高劍父，墨蘭，1940 年款，水墨紙本立軸

Gao Jianfu is one of my favorite modern Chinese painters, though I’m a bigger fan of his brother Gao Qifeng’s (高奇峰) works! Gao Jianfu was one of the founders of the Lingnan School (嶺南畫派) which was influenced by the Japanese nihonga (日本畫) style in a bid to develop China’s own style of national painting (guohua 國畫). This was around the time of the Republic of China (1912-1949) when there was much political instability and artists painted subjects in the nihonga style to showcase the strength of the Chinese people. Nihonga, in my simple summarization, often makes use of a creamy wash and also creates a very nice atmospheric effect in paintings.

Gao Jianfu produced many paintings in this vein and I wonder if this painting had some of that political intention behind it. The nihonga style is not very evident in this work, but I like how effortless it looks and the way the orchids look bigger along the line creates a sense of movement. I also really like the detail of that one line of the leaf extending across the paper and making the white space part of the painting as well.

Ding Yanyong, Album of flowers and birds, ca. 1970s, double-sided album of 18 double leaves (selection), ink on paper
丁衍庸，水墨雜冊，約於 1970 年代，水墨紙本雙面冊頁共十八對開 （選展）

Wu Deyi, Orchids, not dated, set of 4 horizontal scrolls, ink on paper
伍德彝，蘭花，無年款，水墨紙本橫幅四幀

This is one of the four scrolls by Wu Deyi and I really like the details of the dabs of ink to form the background and the almost smudged ink in the rock. It’s really interesting to see how ink and brush can be utilized in different ways to form these varied images.

Gu Qingyao, Ink orchid, dated 1967, hanging scroll, ink on paper
顧青瑤，墨蘭，1967 年款，水墨紙本立軸

Chrysanthemum – Lofty Reclusion (菊 － 高潔浚霜)

Su Liupeng, Brewing wine from chrysanthemums, not dated, album leaf, ink and color on silk
蘇六朋，釀菊圖，無年款，水墨設色絹本冊頁

Deng Fen, Portrait of Tao Yuanming, dated 1940, hanging scroll, ink and color on paper
鄧芬，陶淵明採菊圖，1940 年款，水墨設色紙本立軸

While writing this post, I was picking my parents’ brains for help since I don’t know much of these traditional stuff having grown up in a less Chinese environment. I randomly asked, “Who’s Tao Yuanming?” and my parents went, “Ohhh, he’s really famous!” and started reciting his passages to my surprise.

Tao Yuanming was an Eastern Jin writer who initially worked for the Chinese government but eventually quit. He resolutely stuck to his principles and refused to continue having any ties to the authorities. There are many cases of literati or scholars in older dynasties who quit working in politics and moved on to live a quiet life. Tao loved chrysanthemums and they have since become a symbol representing him. Of course, he is here seen holding a small bouquet of chrysanthemum flowers.

Again, I like how naturalistic the figure is painted, with a nice contrast between his delicate facial features (and beard!) and the lines of his robe that appears very flowy.

Wu Changshuo, Teapot and chrysanthemum in the style of Chen Chun, not dated, fan, ink and color on paper
吳昌碩，仿陳淳瓦壺菊花，無年款，水墨設色紙本扇面

There were few fans exhibited, but it’s fascinating to think that artists used to paint on them and people probably fanned themselves with these. Anyhow, Wu was inspired by Chen Chun (陳淳), who I found out was a Ming Dynasty painter known for his xieyi bird and flower paintings (花鳥畫). Xieyi (寫意) is, very simply, a freehand brushwork style that captures the essence of a subject in a somewhat impressionistic manner with less attention to detail.

The wall didactic at the exhibition also mentions that the teapot “[articulates] the pleasure of chrysanthemum appreciation” and I think it refers to chrysanthemum tea, hee!

And I’m no expert on Chinese calligraphy, but I love Wu’s calligraphy.

Cui Zifan, Chrysanthemums, dated 1990, horizontal scroll, ink and color on paper
崔子範，菊黃時節，1990 年款，水墨設色紙本橫幅

It was interesting to turn the corner and see such a modern piece by Cui Zifan. It’s very different from the rest of the paintings in the exhibition, with Cui’s use of blunt brushstrokes and brighter colors.

Bamboo – Noble Humility (竹 － 虛心亮節)

Gao Jianfu, Bamboo in snow, not dated, hanging scroll, ink and color on paper
高劍父，高風亮節，無年款，水墨設色紙本立軸

As mentioned earlier, I’m a fan of Gao’s. In this painting, you can see his dramatic style of painting but I prefer Gao Qifeng’s more serene style.

Zheng Naiguang, Ducklings and bamboo, dated 1980, vertical scroll, ink and color on paper
鄭乃珖，竹鴨，1980 年款，水墨設色紙本直幅

The ducklings are so cute! And so expertly drawn with those watery dabs of ink.

Yao Gengyun, Fang Zengxian and Lu Kunfeng, Rafts along the bamboo bank, dated 1975, horizontal scroll, ink and color on paper
姚耕雲，方增先及盧坤峰，竹筏，1975 年款，水墨設色紙本橫幅

This is a very nice large painting mostly dedicated to showcasing the bamboo bank although the title seems to emphasize the rafts on the left. I’m not sure if that was actually the point but my favorite part of the painting is definitely those miniscule figures riding their rafts.

Ren Xun, Scholar resting, dated 1876, round fan, ink and color on silk
仁薰，竹園高士，1876 年款水墨設色絹本團扇

I spent quite a while staring at Ren Xun’s Scholar resting because the way it was painted looked very much like works by other 19th century artists I had previously seen in digital images and books. It’s interesting because I find that Chinese paintings look very similar in real life as when you see them in a reproduced image. It’s definitely a different experience from viewing oil paintings in real life, for example.

This wraps up my visit viewing The Four Gentlemen exhibition! I have to say that I was initially surprised by how big those hanging scrolls are although the actual paintings might not be that big.

The exhibition has been ongoing since 5th December 2014 and the ending date has not been announced as of yet. Do check it out at:

Chinese Art Gallery (4/F)
Hong Kong Museum of Art
10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Mondays to Fridays 10:00am – 6:00pm
Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays 10:00am – 7:00pm
Closed on Thursdays (except public holidays)

Standard Ticket $10
Concession Ticket $5

Check out the Hong Kong Museum of Art’s website here.

I will be continuing on the next part of my trip to the Museum about the other exhibitions currently on view as well. Stay tuned! ;)

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