Bulletin Number Four 1986

Exhibi t ion o f Calligraphy o f Kang Youwei An exhibition o f 'Calligraphy o f Kang Youwei' was mounted at the A rt Gallery from 30th August to 5th October. A preview was held on 29th August and Madam Kang Tonghuan, the seventh daughter o f Kang Youwei, and Professor Liu Haisu, a renowned Chinese painter and calligrapher and a student o f Kang, were invited to officiate at the opening cere mony. Kang Youwei (1858-1927) was the key figure o f the ‘Hundred Days Reform' o f 1898. He was at the same time an influential scholar, educator, poet and calligrapher. His treatise on Chinese calligraphy, Guangyizhou Shuangji, is a significant contribution to the art o f calligraphy in China and has le ft its imprint ever since its publication. In actual practice, Kang was distinguished by a personal style which is both original and monumental. On display in the exhibition were repre sentative calligraphic works by Kang, supplemented by family letters, manuscripts, ink rubbings, photo­ graphs, publications and writing materials. A ll are important sources for the study o f Kang's life and thought. The majority o f the exhibits came from the Kang's family collection. Lenders included Madam Kang Tonghuan, Dr. Lee Yun Kuang, Kang's grandson- in-law, Dr. Mark Kai Keung, Kang's great grandson, and Mr. Wang Tsung-yen. The A rt Gallery has all along placed emphasis on the study and promotion o f Guangdong culture. In 1981 it organized an exhibition o f 'Guangdong Calligraphy o f the Ming and Qing Periods' jo in tly w ith museums in Guangzhou. It is hoped that the exhibition o f 'Calligraphy o f Kang Youwei' w ill stimulate further study and more specialized research on modem calligraphers from Guangdong. To coincide w ith this exhibition, the Univer sity Library staged a 'Kang Youwei: A Book Exhibit' from 29th August to 5th September. Poems, inscription to Datongshu; Cursive script, date 1919, set o f fo u r hanging scrolls 14 NEWS