Embrace tradition and modernity at Lai Ming exhibition

A total of 112 paintings by Macao-born, Hong Kong painter Lai Ming (1929-2023) are on display at “Embracing Traditional and Modern: Research Exhibition of Lai Ming” at the Guan Shanyue Art Museum.

Lai’s work primarily depicts flowers, birds, landscapes and figures, combining meticulous and freehand brushwork. He was particularly masterful at painting peacocks.

A glance at Lai Ming’s painting exhibition at the Guan Shanyue Art Museum. Photos by Cao Zhen unless otherwise stated

Visitor admire Lai Ming’s paintings at the exhibition.

In the 1940s, Lai studied a modernized form of Song Dynasty (960-1279) imperial-court painting under Gao Jianfu. Gao, a founder of the Lingnan School, championed blending Chinese and Western styles and combining ancient and modern techniques.

Lai also studied Western and Japanese painting, and his landscapes and peacock pieces reflect a synthesis of Chinese and foreign influences. He painted extensively from life in Macao — especially domestic fowl in neighborhood settings — which gave him a solid technical foundation that benefited him throughout his career.

A visitor takes photos at the exhibition.

Lai Ming’s paintings on display.

“In Lai’s paintings, birds such as peacocks and ducks are rendered in vivid emerald tones and resplendent golden feathers, capturing the lively, distinctive brushwork of the Lingnan School’s bird-and-flower tradition,” said Chen Junyu, director of the Guan Shanyue Art Museum. 

“Lai pursued a majestic, vigorous aesthetic within an elegant, refined approach. His peacocks combine the poetic essence of Eastern ink wash with the luminous brilliance of Western colorism, creating a unique visual language. This vitality shows Lai as both an inheritor of Gao Jianfu’s innovative spirit and an artist who bridges tradition and modernity, East and West,” Chen added.

A visitor takes photos at the exhibition.

A glance at the exhibition. Photo courtesy of the organizers

In 1996 Lai founded the Hong Kong Springtide Art Society and served as its president, continuing the legacy of the Springtide Society that Gao established in Guangzhou in 1947. Lai devoted his life to promoting the Lingnan School, helping to raise it from its regional roots in South China to an international audience and to foster its continued innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Dates: Through Sept. 21

Venue: Guan Shanyue Art Museum, Futian District (关山月美术馆)

Metro: Line 3 or 4 to Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit F2