Professor Chao Shao-an (1905-1998) was one of the most outstanding masters of the Lingnan School of Painting. Influenced by his teacher Gao Qifeng (1889-1933) and the ideas of Gao Jianfu (1879-1951) on the "Modernisation of Chinese Painting", he was committed to combining traditional painting techniques with a careful observation of nature. As a result, he developed a unique artistic style that was characterised by expressive brushwork, refined compositions and a very personal sentiment.


With a solid background in realistic sketching that proved vital to his artistic achievements, Professor Chao's works are not only astoundingly accurate in their representation, but also imbued with a poetic mood and a tangible inner soul.


Professor Chao's sketches not only serve as a visual diary of his observation of and sensitivity towards nature, but also demonstrate his highly creative activities and his perception of and feeling for a variety of subjects. What's more, they are rare and important documents for the study and interpretation of Professor Chao's art.


Focusing on this important part of Professor Chao's artistic activity and supplemented with related paintings and selected photographs, that exhibition featured about 200 sketches of birds, flower, landscapes and insects. Most of the exhibits had been selected from the museum's own collection and date from as early as the 1920s up to the 1990s.


To coincide with that representative exhibition, various educational events were provided for visitors to explore this special world of Professor Chao. And to make it more widely accessible for appreciation and research, a fully illustrated catalogue was published to celebrate Professor Chao's artistic achievements.