Zest to Dunhuang:
Paintings and calligraphy by Jao Tsung-I
19 November 2010 to 16 February 2011
The Dunhuang Academy
of China, the Jao Tsung-I Petite Ecole, and the University
Museum and Art Gallery of The University of Hong Kong
are pleased to present an exhibition of painting and
calligraphy by the eminent scholar and artist Professor
Jao Tsung-I.
Born in Chaozhou, Guangdong
province in 1917, Professor Jao taught at The University
of Hong Kong from 1952 to 1968. From 1968 to 1973
he was the first Chair of Chinese and Head of the
Department of Chinese Studies, National University
of Singapore. In 1973, he joined the Department of
Chinese Language and Literature of The Chinese University
of Hong Kong as Chairman until his retirement in 1978.
As a scholar of extraordinary and broad talent, he
is distinguished in fields as diverse as palaeography,
Dunhuang studies, history, archaeology, and epigraphy,
among others. He has written over 80 books and 500
papers. In addition to his many academic achievements
are those as an artist, poet, and calligrapher. He
has held many exhibitions of his painting and calligraphy
internationally. Professor Jao's many awards include
being the first Chinese to receive an honorary degree
in humanities from the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes
in France. He is also an Honorary Research Fellow
of the Dunhuang Research Institute, China and has
been awarded a Prize for Special Contributions to
the Protection of Dunhuang Relics.
Dunhuang in north-western
China was established as an important border town
in the Han dynasty, but quickly became a significant
site in the development of Buddhism in China as it
lay at the junction of the trade routes known collectively
as the Silk Route. This exhibition will feature Professor
Jao's paintings and calligraphy inspired by this ancient
oasis town. Known for his studies of the art, history
and culture of Dunhuang, these works are executed
in the style of the line drawings and frescoes found
there, as well as the calligraphic style of Buddhist
sutras. Around sixty works including paintings of
heavenly figures such as lokapalas, apsaras and bodhisattvas
of compassion (Guanyin), and earthly subjects such
as lohan, will be on display alongside Professor Jao's
calligraphy.
