Chou Irene
Introduction
Irene Chou (1924 Shanghai-2011 Australia) was a student of Lui Shou-Kwan and a key figure of the New Ink Art Movement in Hong Kong. The one-stroke technique, derived from Chinese philosophy 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, a master of the Lingnan school.
During the 1960s she was introduced to Western Abstract Expressionism by Lui Shou-Kwan and 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 Culture 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 has been showcasing her works since 1987 and included her in the Lui Shou-Kwan 40 Years On Exhibition in 2015, the HOPE charity exhibiiton 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.
- Universe of the Mind: Irene Chou a Retrospective Exhibition, University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Multicultural Community Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- The Universe is My Heart, My Heart is the Universe, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
- Rotunda, Exchange Square, Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Bank Building, Brisbane, Australia
- Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane, Australia
- Queensland Performing Art Complex, Brisbane, Australia
- Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
- Godfrey Far East Art, London, United Kingdom
- Museum Luis de Camões, Macau
- Chinese Painting by Irene Chou, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Charlotte Horstmann and Gerald Godfrey, Hong Kong
- National Art Gallery, Manila, Philippines
- Raya Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
- United States Cultural Centre, Hong Kong
- Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024-2025
- Guo Pei: Fashioning Imagination, M+, Hong Kong
2024
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Landscape in Motion, Ink Asia, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
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ART SG 2024, Alisan Fine Arts, Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
2023
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Ink Asia, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
- Modern Masters from Hong Kong, Alisan Fine Arts, Cromwell Place, London, UK
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Summoning Memories: Art Beyond Chinese Traditions, Asia Society Texas, Houston, USA
2021-2022
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Hong Kong: Here and Beyond, Main Hall Gallery, M+, Hong Kong
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Individuals, Networks, Expressions, South Galleries, M+, Hong Kong
2021
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Ink Dreams: Selections from the Fondation INK Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA
2020
2019
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Hong Kong Experience • Hong Kong Experiment, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
2018
- Being and Inking: Documenting Contemporary Ink Art 2001-2016, Redtory Museum of Contemporary Art, Guangzhou, China
2010
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Legacy & Creations: Ink Art vs Ink Art, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
2006
- Contemporary Hong Kong Ink Painting Exhibition, Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong
- 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
- In Celebration of Art: Hong Kong Arts Centre 25th Anniversary Exhibition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
- 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
- Inaugural Exhibition of the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
- 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
- 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
- Hong Kong Art, Yolanda Gallery, Chicago, United States
- One Art Group Exhibition, National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
- Hong Kong Arts Centre Inaugural Exhibition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
- Women Artists, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong
- Art 1976, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- 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
- 1st Exhibition of Contemporary Hong Kong Art, Hong Kong Art Festival, Hong Kong
- 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
- Art Now Hong Kong, Evansville Museum, Indiana, United States
- 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
- 202nd Exhibition of Royal Academy of Arts, London, United Kingdom
- 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
