The Children's Paradise: The Art of Lo Koon Chiu
Thematic Gallery (5),
Hong Kong Heritage Museum 13 July 2008 - 02 March 2009
Have you ever heard of Children's Paradise and the founder of this children's comic book, Lo Koon-chiu?
Born in 1918, Lo Koon-chiu first learned the art of traditional Chinese painting in his high school days and later graduated from the Guangzhou Municipal School of Fine Arts in 1938 with a major in Western painting. After moving to Hong Kong in 1947, Lo founded the full-colour children's comic book Children's Paradise in 1953 in the capacity of both editor-in-chief and artist, thus becoming one of the first-generation illustrators in Hong Kong. Original and refreshing, his comics sought inspiration in everyday life and aptly reflected the local social culture and children's interests in those days. With the aspiration of fostering good morals and temperament in children, he set his hopes on changing society with a childlike innocence, maintaining that art can serve both to educate society and to realise the "beauty of life". For more than five decades now, Lo has devoted his determined efforts to creating art. His career covers an extremely wide spectrum: in addition to being a comic book illustrator, he has also actively promoted the advance of traditional Chinese painting. His works are truly diverse, running the gamut from landscapes, through portraits, flowers and birds and animals to calligraphy. Among these, Lo's works on themes involving children of Lingnan are perhaps the most impressive thanks to his vivid and detailed depictions and strong interpretations of children in rural and urban settings, the lives they lead and the games they play. Featuring a wide range of subjects, Children's Paradise became a veritable kids' encyclopaedia. "Children's Paradise: The Art of Lo Koon-chiu" is an exhibition that uses the famous children's comic book as a framework to showcase Lo's rich and multifaceted works of art. As visitors wander freely through the exhibits, they will be able to appreciate the career of this venerable artist and the enduring attraction of his life's work. The exhibition opens the door to the extraordinarily colourful world of the art of Lo Koon-chiu. Exhibit Highlights
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