Chou, Irene

1924- 2011

Shanghai , China

Irene Chou (1924 Shanghai - 2011 Australia) was a student of Lui Shou-kwan (1919-1975) and a key figure of the New Ink Art Movement in Hong Kong. The one-stroke technique, derived from Chinese philosophies Zen and Taoism, and encouraged by her mentor Lui Shou-kwan, led to her dynamic, abstract painting style—becoming her signature style in the 1980s. Upon graduating from the Economics department at Shanghai St John’s University in 1945, Chou worked as a journalist for Peace Daily Shanghai. Thereafter, she left for Taipei and in 1949 for Hong Kong. Five years later, she started to learn classical painting under Zhao Shao’ang (1905-1998), a master of the Lingnan School.

During the 1960s she was introduced to Western Abstract Expressionism by Lui Shou-kwan and was inspired to combine Western and Chinese art while striving to retain the essence of Chinese traditional art. Her works demonstrate a solid grounding in traditional Chinese painting methods as well as the footprint traced from Lui Shou-kwan's iconic Zen painting.

She has won several prestigious awards including the Pacific Cultural Asia Museum Fine Art Award, United States (1973); the Hong Kong Urban Council Fine Arts Award (1983) and Artist of the Year Award by Hong Kong Artists’ Guild, (1988). After suffering a life-threatening stroke in 1991 she moved to Brisbane, Australia and passed away at the age of 87. Alisan Fine Arts has been showcasing her works since 1987, including her in the Lui Shou-Kwan 40 Years On in 2015, the charity exhibition HOPE in 2018, and Uniquely Hong Kong in 2020.

BIOGRAPHY
1924   Born in Shanghai, China
1941-45   BA in Economics, St. John’s University, Shanghai, China
1946-47   Reporter for the Peace Daily, Shanghai, China
1947   Translated The World of Tomorrow by Burr W. Leyson, published by the Commercial Press, Shanghai, China
1949   Moved to Hong Kong
1976-84   Taught lithography and ink painting at the Extra Mural Studies, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
1992   Moved to Brisbane, Australia
2011   Passed away

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019

A World Within: The Art and Inspiration of Irene Chou, Asia Society Hong Kong Centre, Hong Kong.

2006

Universe of the Mind: Irene Chou a Retrospective Exhibition, University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

2004

Multicultural Community Centre, Brisbane, Australia

2003

The Universe is My Heart, My Heart is the Universe, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong

1998

Rotunda, Exchange Square, Hong Kong

1997

Hong Kong Bank Building, Brisbane, Australia

1996

Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane, Australia
Queensland Performing Art Complex, Brisbane, Australia

1994

Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan

1991

Godfrey Far East Art, London, United Kingdom

1987

Museum Luis de Camões, Macau

1986

Chinese Painting by Irene Chou, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

1985

Charlotte Horstmann and Gerald Godfrey, Hong Kong

1983

National Art Gallery, Manila, Philippines

1977

Raya Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

1971

United States Cultural Centre, Hong Kong

1969

Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025

Line, Form, Qi: Calligraphic Art from the Foundation INK Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA (Apr 6-Oct 19. 2025)
Picasso for Asia: A Conversation, M+, Hong Kong
Tradition Transformed, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

2024-2025

Reforming Abstraction: Cheung Lee and Contemporaries from Hong Kong and Taiwan in the Late 20^th Century, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University, Oxford, UK (until 7 Sept)
Guo Pei: Fashioning Imagination, M+, Hong Kong

2024

ART SG 2024, Alisan Fine Arts, Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

2023

Ink Asia, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
Modern Masters from Hong Kong, Alisan Fine Arts, Cromwell Place, London, UK
Summoning Memories: Art Beyond Chinese Traditions, Asia Society Texas, Houston, USA

2021-2022

Hong Kong: Here and Beyond, Main Hall Gallery, M+, Hong Kong
Individuals, Networks, Expressions, South Galleries, M+, Hong Kong

2021

Ink Dreams: Selections from the Fondation INK Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA

2020

Uniquely Hong Kong: A Celebration of Hong Kong Art, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

2019

Hong Kong Experience • Hong Kong Experiment, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

2018

HOPE A charity exhibition celebrating the works of outstanding contemporary Chinese women artists, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

2016

Being and Inking: Documenting Contemporary Ink Art 2001-2016, Redtory Museum of Contemporary Art, Guangzhou, China

2015

A Legacy of Ink: Lui Shou-Kwan 40 Years On, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

2010

Legacy & Creations: Ink Art vs Ink Art, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China

2008

Hong Kong Art: Open Dialogue Exhibition Series II – New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond, curated by Alice King, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

2006

Contemporary Hong Kong Ink Painting Exhibition, Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong

2002

Chinese Paintings from the Khoan and Michael Sullivan Collection, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
Artists in the Neighbourhood Scheme II Launching Exhibition, Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Cityscapes: Ink Painting in Transition, Hong Kong Festival, London, United Kingdom

2001

In Celebration of Art: Hong Kong Arts Centre 25th Anniversary Exhibition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong

1995

Lui Shou-Kwan (1919-1975) and His School, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
Lingo: Getting the Picture, Brisbane City Hall, Brisbane, Australia

1993

Inaugural Exhibition of the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

1992

Chinese Art 1992, Godfrey Far East Art, London, United Kingdom

1989

Exhibitions of 19th and 20th Century and Modern Chinese Paintings, Sotheby’s Hong Kong and Christie’s Swire, Hong Kong (to 1993)

1988

22nd International Contemporary Art, Monte Carlo, Monaco

1987

Reality & Infinity: Joint Exhibition of Irene Chaou and Koo Mei, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

1985

Shui Mo: The New Spirit of Chinese Tradition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong

1984

Academy Award Winner’s Exhibition, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

1983

Art 1983, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Contemporary Art of the Eighties, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
Women Artists’ Show, Hong Kong Women’s Art Council, Hong Kong

1982

Contemporary Art from Hong Kong, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Manila, Philippines
Contemporary Vision of Landscape, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

1981

Art 1981, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Contemporary Art by Chinese Intellectuals, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong
Japan International Artists Society Inaugural Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan

1980

Hong Kong Art, Yolanda Gallery, Chicago, United States

1979

One Art Group Exhibition, National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan

1977

Hong Kong Arts Centre Inaugural Exhibition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
Women Artists, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong

1976

Art 1976, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

1975

Cleveland International Drawing Biennial, London, United Kingdom
Five Artists Exhibition, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan
Hong Kong Artists 1975, Saint John’s Hall, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Painters, Luz Gallery, Manila, Philippines

1974

1st Exhibition of Contemporary Hong Kong Art, Hong Kong Art Festival, Hong Kong

1973

Chinese Ink Painting, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Contemporary Hong Kong Art Exhibition, City Hall Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong
Five Contemporary Chinese Artists, Mavis Chapman Gallery, Sydney, Australia

1972

Art Now Hong Kong, Evansville Museum, Indiana, United States

1971

Art Now Hong Kong, Hong Kong City Museum & Art Gallery, Hong Kong; Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery, London; Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery, Edinburgh; City Art Gallery, Bristol; City Art Gallery, Manchester, UK
Contemporary Chinese Ink Painters, Lee Nordness Gallery, New York, United States

1970

202nd Exhibition of Royal Academy of Arts, London, United Kingdom

1969

201st Exhibition of Royal Academy of Arts, London, United Kingdom
Contemporary Hong Kong Art, City Hall Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong

SELECTED AWARDS
1972 Pacific Culture Asia Museum Fine Art Award, California, United States
1983 Urban Council Fine Arts Award (Chinese Painting), Hong Kong
1988 The Artist of the Year Award, Hong Kong

SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA
British Museum, London, United Kingdom
Museum for East-Asian Arts, Cologne, Germany
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
Raya Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
National Art Gallery, Manila, Philippines
National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
University Museum & Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
M+, Hong Kong