Shenzhen Art Museum will exhibit Chinese painting master Jao Tsung-i’s 38 lotus paintings this Friday until May 7.

Jao, 99, is a scholar, poet, calligrapher and painter based in Hong Kong. A versatile scholar, he contributes to every field of the humanities, including archaeology, literature, philology, musicology and history.

“In the recent decade, ‘lotus’ has been the major subject of Professor Jao’s painting; meanwhile, he has also developed new techniques and methods for this type of painting. Therefore, lotus painting is also a symbol of his unceasing exploration of art,” said Tang Wai-hung, deputy director of Jao Tsung-i Petite Ecole, The University of Hong Kong.

“Professor Jao indicates that there is a reason why he loves to do lotus painting. His father named him ‘Tsung-i,’ literally meaning ‘modeling yourself after Zhou Dunyi,’ because his father hoped that he could learn from Zhou. Zhou was a master of the Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty, who loved the lotus, and his ‘Ode to Lotus’ has been the most important essay praising lotuses since then. Nonetheless, according to Professor Jao, [Ming Dynasty painter] Zhu Da’s ‘Flowers on the River’ was the major agent that influenced his unique Jao’s Lotus,” said Tang.

Born in Chaozhou in 1917, Jao is largely autodidactic. A world-renowned scholar in Chinese and Oriental studies as well as arts and culture, Jao has devoted over 70 years to academic excellence, as well as mentoring generations of students. Undertaking diverse but converging paths in his scholarly pursuits, his contributions cover 13 genres ranging across the whole field of Sinology, including pre-Qin history, oracle bone studies, studies of bamboo and silks, paleography, ancient musicology, religious studies, songs of Chu, historiography (including Chaozhou studies), history of the East-West relationship, Dunhuang studies, bibliographical studies, classical Chinese literature, Chinese art history, etc. A prolific writer, he is the author of over 100 books and over 1,000 scholarly articles, many of which have opened up new vistas of research possibilities.

Dates: April 28-May 7, closed Mondays

Venue: Shenzhen Art Museum, inside Donghu Park, Aiguo Road, Luohu District (罗湖区爱国路东湖公园内深圳美术馆)

Metro: Line 5 or 7, Tai’an Station (太安站), Exit C and then take a taxi(SD News)