The Art and Life of Van I-pong

The essay starts by pointing out how Cantonese artists had dominated the attention of academic researchers in Hong Kong. It is only until recently when there emerge studies devoted to Northern artists. The writer argues that the life experiences and artistic achievement of painter Van I-pong (1917-1994; born in Shanghai) contributed an indispensable chapter to Hong Kong art history and deserves comprehensive, in-depth review. Van had since young learned the art of bamboo-carving, seal carving and calligraphy. From the age of twelve he started to learn painting. He moved to Hong Kong in 1949. The essay gives an account of Van’s creative works, exhibitions, social circles and comments from his contemporaries over three decades. Since his migration to Canada in 1984, Van made a large amount of finger paintings which, in the writer’s opinion, is a major achievement in Van’s later stage of painting career. The essay also covers Van’s contributions to art education and gives a detailed account of the painter’s teaching manuscripts, Theories of Chinese Landscape Painting.