Community & Charities
Arts, Culture and Heritage
Jockey Club supports exhibition of Dr Fang Zhaoling’s ink paintings
05/10/2017
Distinguished female painter Dr Fang Zhaoling played an important role in the 20th century Chinese art scene. Having studied with leading Chinese artists Qian Songyan, Zhao Shaoang and Zhang Daqian, and coupled this with the contrasting influence of a Western-style education, Dr Fang developed her own distinctive style with contemporary elements that helped Chinese painting speak to the modern world.
From now until 31 December, Hong Kong people have the chance to see and learn more about Dr Fang's groundbreaking work at a free exhibition entitled The Hong Kong Jockey Club Presents: “Painting Her Ways: The Ink Art of Fang Zhaoling”, the first solo exhibition since her passing in 2006. Funded exclusively by the Club’s Charities Trust, it is being staged at the Asia Society Hong Kong (ASHK) Center in Admiralty.
The exhibition features a selection of over 60 ink paintings, calligraphy works and seals from the Fang family collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art, University Museum and Gallery of The University of Hong Kong and the University of Oregon, helping to enrich the public’s understanding of modern Chinese art. Some of the works are on display for the first time. Over 25,000 people are expected to attend.
The Club’s funding also covers the The Jockey Club Art Education and Female Empowerment Series, allowing participants to understand the path of Dr Fang’s artistic development as a female role model of her era, and the endeavours of other women in art and different fields.
The programme includes a series of public lectures related to Chinese female artists in the contemporary art world and the role of women in historic events. Some outstanding local female achievers from different fields are being invited for in-depth exchanges with upper secondary and tertiary students.
Empowerment programmes are also being organised for girls from underprivileged families and single-parent households, helping them build self-confidence and discover their potential through activities such as communication skills enhancement and teamwork exercises. In addition, the Trust’s funding is providing transport subsidies for underprivileged families.
The Club has long been a staunch supporter of the arts, and Arts, Culture and Heritage is one of four strategic focus areas of the Club’s Charities Trust donations. The Central Police Station Revitalisation Project is one of its notable current initiatives, while the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, where the Fang Zhaoling exhibition is being held, itself occupies a Class 1 historical structure whose restoration was funded by the Trust, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Former Explosives Magazine. The Trust also recently supported the well-received Life is Only One: Yoshitomo Nara exhibition staged there.
In addition to supporting arts venues and events, and nurturing talent through scholarships, the Club is keen to help broaden the base for the arts, promote a diversity of art forms and create more opportunities for people to participate in the arts at every level of the community and in every part of Hong Kong.
