An exhibition of works by Taiwan poet-painter Lo Ching will launch Feb. 1 at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, according to the Ministry of Culture.
Supported by the MOC, Maryland State Arts Council and Baltimore County Commission on Arts and Sciences, “The Poet’s Brush: Chinese Ink Paintings by Lo Ch’ing” will showcase 30 of the artist’s ink-wash paintings including some of his early pieces from the 1960s. Running through March 17, the 45-day show will be Lo’s first in the U.S. in 10 years.
Lo began learning the art of ink-wash painting at 13, and for nearly 60 years has developed his skills while at the same time pursuing a lifelong love of poetry. His creations are now prized by collectors and galleries around the world including the British Museum and Saatchi Gallery in London.
Jason C. Kuo, curator of the Maryland exhibition, said that Lo’s works are unique from those of his contemporaries, with much emphasis placed on broadening the scope of traditional Chinese paintings. Combining techniques of Eastern ink-wash and Western watercolor paintings, the artist finds much of his inspiration in the people and places of Taiwan, Kuo wrote.
Also recognized for his talents as a poet, Lo has published numerous collections including the renowned “Ways to Eat a Watermelon,” which won a national poetry award in 1974. He was also a special guest at the 1996 Poetry International Festival Rotterdam—one of the most celebrated events of its kind in the world.
According to organizers, the exhibition will be complemented by a March 7 lecture by Alfreda Murck, an author and scholar of Chinese arts, at the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture centering on Lo’s aesthetics in the context of traditional Chinese landscape paintings. (CPY-E)
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