Chao Shao-Ang ( 1905-1998 )

Chao Shao-Ang, alias Shuyi, was born in 1905 in Panyu of Guangdong province. He took tuition from a private tutor in his village during childhood. At the age of' sixteen, he learned painting from the famous Lingnan painter, Gao Qifeng at Gao's private art school. He became a teacher at the Fushan Art Academy when he was twenty-three. In 1930, his work was awarded a gold medal at the Brussels International World Fair in Belgium. In the same year, he founded the Lingnan Art Studio at Guangzhou. He held three one-man shows at Guangzhou in 1933. A year later, he went on a tour of North China. He traveled extensively through Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong. Hebei and Shanxi provinces. He visited a number of historical sites, such as the Caves of Stone Buddhas in Yungang and the Great Wall. During the tour, his works had been exhibited in several large cities, like Nanjing, Tianjin and Beijing.

Zhao became the head of the Chinese Painting Department of the Guangzhou Art Institute in 1937. He later moved to Hong Kong. He held one-man shows in Hong Kong, New Zealand and Lisbon in 1939. In 1941, he left Hong Kong for Guangzhouwan, via Macao. During the war time, he went to Chongqing, via Guilin, Liuzhou and Guiyang. On his way, be had the opportunity of viewing the scenic beauty of the landscape in Guilin. At Chongqing, he was accorded professorship at the National Central University and the National Art Academy. During his stay in Sichuan, Zhao visited many scenic spots of artistic interest, such as the Mount Emei and the three gorges of Chang Jiang. His scope of painting was widely broadened as a result of such extentive traveling. From 1941 to 1944, his works had been exhibited in various cities he visited, including Guang述houwan, Liuzhou, Guilin, Qujiang, Guiyang, Chongting and Chengdu.

In 1946, after the Sino-Japanese War, Zhao returned to South China and organized one-man shows in Hong Kong and Macao. In 1948, he was appointed the professor of art at the Guangzhou University. He later moved to Hong Kong and re-established the Lingnan Art Studio. In 1951, he was invited by the Korean Japanese News Association to hold a painting exhibition in Tokyo. In 1952, he traveled throughout Southeast Asian countries and his works were exhibited in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang. In 1953, he toured Europe and an exhibition of his painting was held in Switzerland. Exhibitions of his works were later shown in London, Manchester, Paris and Rome in 1954. From 1960 to 1971, over thirty exhibitions of his paintings were held in Canada, West Germany, Australia and U.S.A. Two exhibitions of his paintings were held at the City Hall, Hong Kong in 1962 and 1979.