Oil Portrait Painting Demonstration With Five Artists – Chen Chao Long (陳朝龍), Helen Kwok Hee Lun (郭喜倫), Lin Ming Gang (林鳴崗), Lui Pak Pui (雷伯培), Shen Ping (沈平)

In conjunction with UMAG’s exhibition of Florentine Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli’s Venus, we have invited five accomplished oil painting artists in Hong Kong to demonstrate oil portraiture techniques. Visitors can mingle freely among the artists to observe how delicate facial and body features appear gradually on blank canvases. Each artist will simultaneously use traditional techniques to interpret the Renaissance painting in their own styles – from preparing the canvas base to sketching and composing, from mixing colour palettes to applying painterly brushstrokes. The mystery and magic of painting emotive eyes, soft baby skin tones, and curly hair lusters will all be unveiled. Additionally, two of the artists will share their years of experience with Italian Renaissance paintings from the practitioners’ views. This afternoon’s demonstration promises to be an interesting and interactive one.

Artists: (in alphabetical order of last name)

Chen Chao Long was born in Quizhou, China and immigrated to Hong Kong as a professional artist in 1982. A member of Chinese Artists Association, he is a teacher of oil painting, holding exhibitions in Hong Kong and China. His works are collected by UMAG and many private collectors.

Helen Kwok Hee Lun teaches the Italian Neapolitan School of painting. She studied drawing and painting under Chen Shou Soo and Angela Maria Lattanzi from 1976–1987. A graduate of HKU in Art History, Kwok has published articles and given lectures on the relationship between drawing and painting, covering the period between Italian Renaissance to the 19th Century.

Lin Ming Gang was from Fujian Province in China, and graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris where he resided for 20 years. He is now Chairman of the Hong Kong Oil Painting Research Society. A teacher and a professional oil painter, he has held numerous exhibitions in Asia and Europe. His works are collected by aficionados, institutions and museums internationally, including UMAG.

Lui Pak Pui is an oil painter and teacher. After graduating from Linghai Art School, he also studied oil painting with Neapolitan School painter Chen Shou Soo and Angela Maria Lattanzi from 1973–1987. Lui greatly admires Old Masters and Italian Renaissance paintings and paints in typical Ottocento Italian realism style.

Shen Ping was born in Beijing and studied art in Zhejiang Fine Art Academy. He teaches art in HKU SPACE, Chinese University and the HK Jockey Club. He is Chairman of Hong Kong Watercolour Research Society and Founder of Inspiration Art Press. His works are collected by private individuals and museums, including UMAG, HK Museum of Art and HK Heritage Museum.