All the World's A Stage: The Art of Luis Chan Flagship Exhibition
*Special Opening hours
Thursday 22 Dec, 2022 10am – 6pm
Saturday 24 Dec, 2022 10am – 6pm
Saturday 31 Dec, 2022 10am – 6pm
Sunday 1 Jan, 2023 Closed
Supported by Luis Trust
Presenter: Hong Kong Arts Centre
Guest Curator: Joyce Wong Hei-ting
All The World’s A Stage – The Art of Luis Chan Flagship Exhibition
Encounter the colourful spirit of Luis Chan on the fantastical stage.
Luis Chan (1905-1995) is widely regarded as Hong Kong’s pioneer of modern art. Chan was known for his exquisitely-drawn realistic landscape paintings in watercolour at the beginning of Chan’s artistic career, earning a reputation as the ‘King of Watercolour’. Later, Chan’s works were mostly imaginative and colourful, depicting dreamlike scenes with whimsy. Developing his distinct artistic style, Chan transcended any genres of the art and culture. Chan’s works are matched by an equally vibrant personality.
Coinciding with the Hong Kong Arts Centre’s 45th anniversary, this flagship exhibition explores Chan’s art and legacy in a thematic survey that highlights the artist’s perceptive portrayal of daily urban drama and identity, his love of narrative and storytelling, and his uplifting spirit throughout the tumultuous 20th century.
This exhibition is divided into four chapters—'The Artist and the Critic’, ‘Hong Kong Through the Looking Glass’, ‘Luis in Artland’, and ‘Vision is a Many-Splendored Thing’—featuring Chan’s paintings from 1950s to 1980s where different visual expressions can be discovered in different state of creation. The exhibition presents Chan’s kaleidoscopic creative trajectory, inviting the audience to the fantastical stage of Luis Chan.
This exhibition provides an opportunity to enrich extant research on the artist with new archival materials and a long overdue institutional monograph since the artist’s passing.
Public Programme: Curator's Tour and Talk
Curator's Tour
The curator will guide our visitors through the exhibition.
- Curator’s Tour (English)
Sunday 18 December 2022, 4 pm
- Curator’s Tour (Cantonese)
Saturday 7 January 2023, 4pm
Curator's Talk (conducted in English with Cantonese interpretation)
Luis Through the Looking Glass
Guest curator of All the World’s A Stage: The Art of Luis Chan, Joyce Hei-ting Wong, will share her research behind the exhibition with various artworks and archival materials to discuss the artist’s creative trajectory and the significance of visual perception in his six-decade long career from realism to abstraction.
Saturday 7 January 2023, 5pm - 6pm
Free admission, first-come, first-served. RSVP NOW:
https://forms.gle/sgn5jyfhcdFaQD6f7
Public Guided Tour
Led by our docent, the audience will visit both the exhibition and Luis Chan Studio in the tour and wander through Chan’s fantasy world. Join the tour to learn more about Chan’s paintings from a different perspective and his legendary life and history.
Gathering point: 5/F, Pao Galleries, Hong Kong Arts Centre
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14:00 - 15:00 |
16:00 - 17:00 |
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Every Saturday |
Cantonese |
Cantonese |
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Every Sunday |
English |
Cantonese |
*Public guided tour on 1 Jan, 2023 will be suspended.
20 persons per tour
Free admission, and no prior registration is required.
(Group visits are available for schools. For details, please email hkac@hkac.org.hk )
Remarks:
- Please arrive the gathering point five minutes early before the tour begins.
- Visitors must follow the latest epidemic prevention measures issued by the Presenter during admission and the tour.
- Activities are subject to change without prior notice. The Presenter reserves the right to make the final decision regarding the arrangements.
Family workshops
【Out of the Cube】regularly organises Art x Emotions online and physical workshops from October 2022 to January 2023, in the hope that children and parents can feel their emotions through different mediums of art.
‘Your Aquarium at Heart’ workshops guide parents and kids to listen their own inner voice and get a better understanding of various feelings, such as joy, disappointment, anger, fear, curiosity, etc., through the watercolour creation. During the emotion exploration, participants can also get to know Hong Kong legendary artist Luis Chan who earns a reputation as the ‘King of Watercolour’.
Details and Ticketing
(The workshop will be conducted in Cantonese.)
All The World’s A Stage – The Art of Luis Chan Flagship Exhibition Opening
Date: 2022.12.09
Time: 18:00 – 20:00
Opening Ceremony: 18:30
Venue: 5/F, Pao Galleries, Hong Kong Arts Centre
About Luis Chan
Luis Chan (1905 - 1995) was born in Panama in 1905 to Cantonese parents and settled in Hong Kong with his family in 1910. As a self-taught landscape painter, between the late 1920S and 1960, Chan developed a lively English landscape style and became known locally as the ‘King of Watercolour’. His style evolved as the city went through a half-century of dramatic change. By the 1960s, his paintings had become dreamscapes that portray the subconscious life of the city and the psyche of the post-war generation. Chan's unique paintings are a testament to the history of modern Chinese art and reveal the history of Hong Kong, a city of Chinese and foreign commerce.
Discover more about Luis Chan at Hong Kong Arts Centre
Luis Chan Studio
Hong Kong Arts Centre launched the 5-year project Luis Chan Studio in May 2022, with the Studio showcasing his living environment and the setting when he was still alive and drawing, allowing audience to gain an in-depth understanding of Luis Chan’s creations and his artistic world.
Luis Chan, also known as the ‘King of Watercolour’, is a local legendary artist and is significant in the Hong Kong art history. He lived in a home studio located at Lockhart Road in Wan Chai before—in that apartment, he drew numerous paintings. Streetscape of Wan Chai and nearby stores cultivated his inspiration. His artworks are traces of the past and rich in local characteristics. Taking reference from Luis Chan’s home studio at Lockhart Road in Wan Chai, Luis Chan Studio features Chan’s personal belongings, such as furniture, paintings, and books relocated from his studio. Visitors can glimpse Chan’s creative space of the old days through the glass window. And through understanding the meanings behind some of the displayed items, visitor can further explore different traits of Chan. It is hoped that the Studio can provide the public with an alternative visual experience and a deeper understanding of Chan’s life. More historical photos and written records about Chan are showcased to guide the audience through his artistic journey and development of styles, reflecting on important traces of Hong Kong art history.
Date: On view until May 2027
Time: 08:00 – 23:00
Venue: 4/F, Hong Kong Arts Centre
Hong Kong Arts Centre – Art for Passion, Art for Life, Art for All
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