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13/1/2014

Michael Chow

Pearl Lam Galleries, Hong Kong

Michael Chow, the famous restaurateur behind ‘Mr Chow’ Chinese restaurants worldwide, will present his first ever solo exhibition, Recipe for a Painter, opening 13 January 2014 in Hong Kong at Pearl Lam Galleries.

For Chow, who paints under the pseudonym ‘Yinghua’—his Chinese name, the exhibition represents a return to his cultural heritage after a break of more than 50 years during which he became a prominent figure within the US art scene, as well as a serious collector of contemporary art. For Pearl Lam Galleries, Yinghua’s work embodies its continuous desire to stimulate cross-cultural dialogue and cultural exchange between East and West.Recipe for a Painter will present a series of very large-scale mixed-media canvases, each created using a wide variety of precious and household materials including gold leaf and silver, trash, acrylic paint, melted metal, and other found items. Yinghua describes his artistic practice as intrinsically linked to his cultural heritage and ongoing relationship with China, a country with which he has a complex history.

As a child Chow was forced to leave the country, sent to the UK for schooling when his parents preempted the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao. During this period, Chow’s father Zhou Xinfang, to this day considered one of China’s most renowned and beloved Beijing Opera or ‘Jing Ju’ performers, disappeared. Chow never saw him again, and only saw his mother once more when she came to visit him at school.

His work is a product of his cross-cultural inheritance and the post-war generation in which he grew up, his work referencing simultaneously Abstract Expressionism, Colour Field painting and the associated consistency of form, and the landscape traditions of Chinese ink and calligraphy. The unique fusions in Yinghua’s work are not restrained to cultural and artistic influences; the performative and the painterly instincts in the artist combine in the gestures expressed across his large-scale canvases. Yinghua believes that every detail in his work is its own universe that in turn filters into a powerful whole. The mature paintings he is exhibiting at Pearl Lam Galleries are the creative culmination of a lifetime of details.

"I love China. Although it was taken away from me at a very young age, it has remained with me for my entire life. Everything I have done or accomplished has been an attempt to reconnect with my culture. My father was a great artist, albeit in a different medium, so it is particularly humbling and gratifying to return as an artist to the place my heart has always called home." Mr Chow aka Zhou Yinghua ~O-O~

“I have a long-held respect for Michael Chow in the many roles he holds in the international art scene. It is rare to find one man with such diverse friendships and multicultural ties across the world, and I am delighted to be presenting his long-awaited return to painting after 50 years.” Pearl Lam, Founder of Pearl Lam Galleries

Zhou Yinghua was born in 1939 into a family of theatre in Shanghai, China. His father Zhou Xinfang, the grandmaster of Beijing Opera, is regarded as a national treasure to this day. In his early years, surrounded by a loving family and a famous father, Yinghua developed a passion for Beijing Opera, particularly the spontaneity and creativity which his father excelled at. Yinghua dreamed of being a great artist in the opera. This was not his fate.
At the age of 13, he was sent to London, England. He lost everything familiar—his family, his language, his culture, even his name. Zhou Yinghua was re-branded Michael Chow. Alone and devastated in an alien world, “Michael” struggled to assimilate but found solace in visual arts. Art was a language Michael could grasp with ease and Michael’s childhood dream of being an artist shifted from opera to painting. Michael wanted nothing more than to be an artist, however, at that time, being a Chinese artist, he was often met with rejection and exclusion.
For over a decade, he scrapped and even starved. While he knew in his soul he had the talent and drive, he came to the conclusion that it was not enough. The world was not ready. Michael, sacrificing his art for his survival, decided to take a break, a break that became a long radical sabbatical.
He founded his first restaurant, MR CHOW, in 1968 in Knightsbridge, London. It became an international success spawning locations around the world. Michael thrived at designing, from specialty boutiques for Giorgio Armani, to his own restaurants and his home in Los Angeles. Michael has continued to be involved in all walks of creativity from architecture, theatre and film. He is an appointed member of the Board of Governors for The Broad Museum.

Founded by Pearl Lam, the Galleries' mission is to stimulate cross-cultural dialogue and cultural exchange between the East and West by establishing distinct and rigorous programming in each of its gallery spaces in Hong Kong and Shanghai, as well as the Singapore gallery at Gillman Barracks, opening 17 January, 2014. Pearl Lam Galleries is dedicated to championing Chinese artists who re-evaluate the philosophy and perception of Asian contemporary art, while also committed to presenting major exhibitions by international artists. Jim Lambie, Yinka Shonibare MBE, and Zhu Jinshi are among the line-up of artists who have solo exhibitions at the Galleries in 2013. Pearl Lam Design shows works by established and emerging international designers including Maarten Baas, Mattia Bonetti, André Dubreuil, and Studio Makkink & Bey. They are invited to push the boundaries of traditional Chinese art and craft techniques and create new works that reflect their experiences in China.

Opening 13th January 2014

Pearl Lam Galleries
601–605, 6/F, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong
Hours: Monday–Saturday, 10am–7pm
Admission free

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