1) Princess Kwong Yem Han 2) Solitude 3) Simple Life 4) Three Gentle Fish
Watercolors by Princess Kwong Yem Han
by Kay Hansen
In a charming two story home along the the placid shores of Lake Pepin, a true Chinese Princess goes serenely about her work. Pausing to contemplate an oak tree just outside her window, Princess Kwong Yem Han raises her 15 pound paint brush and gracefully draws it across a large canvas, sketching the Chinese characters for ‘peace and prosperity.’
Descended on her father’s side from members of the Royal Court of the Song Dynasty during the 12th century, Yem Han is an accomplished painter and calligrapher and acknowledges her ancestor, Emperor Song Gao Tsung, who, himself, was a great calligrapher. "I am proud to have inherited this special gift," says Yem Han, "I will use it wisely to share with the public."
Beijing’s master calligrapher, Yang Xuan-Ting, was so impressed with her talent that he presented Yem Han with a hand-plucked, goat-hair brush worth $10,000 and named her ‘Queen of the Big Brush.’ The big brush — which is roughly the size of a mop and requires special strength training to manage — is used for larger installations, such as wall murals. It is a medium best suited for the ancient Chinese art of calligraphy.
"You must learn how to write before you paint," says Yem Han, explaining her twin artistic talents. "Chinese calligraphy and Chinese painting go hand in hand and some calligraphy strokes become paintings." Yem Han, who studied with Taiwan’s master calligrapher, Li Pu Tong, will be showing her artwork at The Northern Lakes Center for the Arts in Amery, Wisconsin, July 18th through August 15th in a one woman show entitled "Watercolors by Princess Kwong Yem Han." The exhibit features traditional Chinese-landscape watercolors.
"My paintings are very calming and peaceful," says Yem Han. Indeed, her use of soft pastels and watercolors depict scenes of quiet contemplation and serenity. "The solitude and swirling mists of mountain and lake scenery are the spiritual inspiration for my paintings," she says.
A first generation Chinese American, Yem Han earned her Bachelor of Arts from California State University, Sacramento, in 1972 and then studied the history of Chinese art at Cheng Chi University in Taipei, Taiwan. She earned her Masters in education and has taught Chinese Calligraphy and painting technique throughout the United States.
Yem Han says her goal is to educate people about Chinese painting and calligraphy. "Because I am gifted in Chinese art, I believe my gift is to share that with people who have never been exposed to it."
The Northern Lakes Center for the Arts is located at 113 Elm Street in Amery, Wisconsin. The opening reception for "Watercolors by Princess Kwong Yem Han" is from 7:30 until 9:00 p.m. on July 18th. The shows runs through August 15th. "I have 25 Chinese traditional watercolors and there are a few surprises in my paintings," Yem Han promises. The show is free and open to the public. For more information, call 715-268-6811.
-----------------------
1) Cheng-Khee Chee 2) Old Turtle Smiles, 1991 3) Koi 2001 No. 1, 2003
The Work of Cheng-Khee Chee
Bloomington Art Center, August 14 - September 27
The Work of Cheng-Khee Chee, AWS DF NWS, will be the Inaugural Exhibition in the Inez Greenberg Gallery at the new Bloomington Art Center, 1800 West Old Shakopee Road in Bloomington, Minnesota. The exhibition, originally scheduled for June 15-July 26, 2003, has been changed to August 14-September 27, 2003, due to the delay of the opening of the new art center. An opening reception will be held at 6:30 p.m. on August 14, 2003.
Cheng Khee Chee, Associate Professor Emeritus of the University of Minnesota, is a Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society, Master Watercolorist of the Midwest Watercolor Society, Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society, Allied Artists of America, Knickerbocker Artists USA, Singapore Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA Honor Society and many others.
He is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Art, Who’s Who Among Asian Americans, Dictionary of World Chinese Artists Achievements, Artists of Chinese Origin in North America, and Something about the Author, a Biographical Guide to Children’s Books.
Chee’s paintings have been widely exhibited throughout the United States and earned him over 160 national awards. They include the Grand Award Gold Medal and Purchase Prize for Excellence from the Knickerbocker Artists USA, the Gold Medal from the Allied Artists of America, the Silver Medal from the American Watercolor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Award from the National Watercolor Society, the Skyledge Award from the Midwest Watercolor Society, and twice the Best in Show honor from the Sumi e Society of America. His paintings are represented in numerous public and private collections.
In 1987 Chee was honored by the China Academy of Fine Arts and the Chinese Artists’ Association with a one man exhibition which traveled to nine major cities in China. Chee was also honored by the Singapore National Art Museum with a one man exhibition in 1997. The show was also held at the Penang State Art Gallery in Malaysia. In commemoration of the event, his book The Watercolor World of Cheng-Khee Chee was published.
In 1991, Chee illustrated Old Turtle by Douglas Wood. The book received four awards including the 1993 International Reading Association Children’s Book Award and the 1993 American Booksellers Association Children’s Book of the Year Award (ABBY). The original paintings for Old Turtle were exhibited at the Rotunda Gallery of the US Congress Cannon House Office Building in November, 1993 and at the Minnesota Museum of American Art in St. Paul in 1997.
Chee was the recipient of the 1994 University of Minnesota system wide University College Distinguished Teaching Award and the 1994 University of Minnesota, Duluth Campus Chancellor’s Distinguished Services Award. In the same year, he was also honored as "Duluth’s Cultural Ambassador to the World" by Mayor Gary Doty.
Chee was born in Fujian, China, grew up in Penang, Malaysia, and received his B.A. Degree from Nanyang University in Singapore. He came to the United States in 1962, and completed his Master’s Degree at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Since 1965, he has been living in Duluth with his family and pursuing his studio work while working as a faculty member o of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Since 1965, he has been living in Duluth with his family and pursuing his studio work while working as a faculty member of the University of Minnesota, Duluth. He became a full time artist since July 1994. He is a frequently sought national show juror and workshop instructor.