Born in Guangzhou, China, Cheung Yee graduated from the Fine Art Department of Taiwan Normal University in 1958, and five years later he formed the Circle Group with other local artists in Taiwan. In 1965, Cheung received a grant to travel the USA and Europe, exploring the discovering Western artists and their key influences and practices.
Most renowned for his cast paper murals developed in the 1970s, Cheung Yee is widely regarded as the pioneer of the contemporary art movement in Hong Kong. His artistic innovation and contributions have also won him The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Member class (MBE) in 1979 conferred by the Queen of England. With over a hundred exhibitions organised world wide since he started his career, Cheung holds the record as the only living artist in the history of Hong Kong to have been specially invited to exhibit three solo-exhibitions at the prestigious Hong Kong Museum of Art.
Cheung was a professor of Fine Arts at the Chinese University of Hong Kong until 1998, the chairman of the Hong Kong Sculptors’ Association, as well as advisor to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Today he continues to create masterful artworks from his home in California, U.S.A.
Possessing a rare perception in art, his works reflect elements from a myriad of subjects including early American art, Egyptian art, ancient Chinese philosophy, geomancy, among various others; all of which are uniquely interpreted to result in works that are evidently distinct. Archaic touches from the East, like a profound Chinese poem from the distant past or cryptic primitive symbols from a forgotten time, are delicately blended into his cast paper works. Cheung Yee passed away in 2019.
Four Spirits & the Sanfuhuangtu
An interesting theme that Cheung’s art projects is the Sanfuhuangtu 《三辅黄图》 (Annotations on the Rule of the Yellow Emperor). This ancient literary text is propelled to life by his individualistic bronze sculptural works which express the xuanwu 玄武, represented by the combined form of the tortoise and the snake. Consequently, a keen observer may notice that a number of his sculptures such as the Magic Nine and Four Spirits show spatial openings, symbolic of the tortoise shell, and worm-like figures, representative of the snake.
Education
1958 | Graduated from the Fine Art Dept. of Taiwan Normal University
Selected Solo Exhibitions
- 2019 | Cheung Yee – The Early Years, Galerie Du Monde, Hong Kong
- 2005 | Perceptive Impressions, Galerie Du Monde, Hong Kong
- 2005 | Cheung Yee: Fortune, AO Vertical Art Space, Hong Kong
- 2003 | Cheung Yee Solo Exhibition, iPreciation, Singapore
- 2000 | The Art of Cheung Yee, Nanyang Academy of Fine Art, Singapore
- 1993 | Solo Exhibition, Hong Kong Museum of Art
Selected Group Exhibitions
- 1961 | Salon d’Aout, Hong Kong, St. John Cathedral Hall, Hong Kong
- 1964 | Pittsburgh International, Carnegie Institute, U.S.A.
- 1971 | Art Now Hong Kong, London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, UK
- 1982 | Contemporary Hong Kong Art, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Manila, Philippines
- 1983 | 10th National Arts Exhibition, Taiwan National Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
- 1988 | Moderne Chinesische Kunst Aus Hong Kong, Galerie Art East Art West, Hamburg, Germany
- 1990 | Contemporary Artists Drawing Exhibition, Cheng Pin Gallery, Taipei
- 1995 | Tresors, Singapore
- 2000 | Valentine Willie, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- 2007 | Korea International Art Fair, Korea
- 2008 | Bridge ArtFair New York 2008, U.S.A
Awards
- 1979 | Awarded the Member Order of the British Empire (Honorary)
- 1988 | Awarded “Sculptor of the Year Award 1988”, Hong Kong Artists’ Guild
Public Collections
- Hong Kong Museum of Art
- Museum of Modern Art, Mexico City
- National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
- Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taiwan
- Taiwan Museum of Art, Tai Chung, Taiwan
- Kaohsiung Fine Arts Museum
For full list of exhibitions, awards and collections, please contact the gallery at enquiry@ipreciation.com
Images of artworks
