Author:Chi Kang

Size:Length:233 x Width:84 (cm)

Size description：137×69 (233×84)

Introduction：Chi Kang (1911-2007), also known as Ning Fu and with the studio name Fushou Kangning, was a native of Cixi, Zhejiang and a celebrated Taiwan traditional painter. His great-grandfather, Chi Bo-Shou, was a painter during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, and his father, Chi Yong-Fang, was a famous scholar of his time. His uncle, Chi Shou-Zheng, was a painter during the Republic of China. Chi Kang was exposed to art from an early age and learned by copying classics such as "The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting" and "Shizhuzhai Manual of Painting". During the anti-Japanese war, he traveled around China and returned to Shanghai after the war, where he held many joint exhibitions with his uncle and interacted with artists such as Pu Hsin-Yu (Pu Ru), Chang Da-Chien, and Long Ching-Shan. In 1947, he moved to Taiwan, where he served as a professor in the Fine Arts Department of the Chinese Culture College, a member of the Art Education Committee of the Ministry of Education, and chairman of the Chinese Painting Association. In 1957, he co-founded the Liuli (Six Couples Painting Association), and in 1960, he founded the Bapeng (Eight Friends Painting Association), dedicated to the creation of traditional Chinese paintings. In 1982, he moved to San Diego, California, USA, where he died in 2007. A memorial exhibition for him was held in Taipei in 2010.

From an early age, Chi Kang copied numerous ancient paintings and excelled in meticulous brushwork. He was best known for his paintings of saddled horses, beautiful ladies, and flowers and birds, collectively known as the "Three Excellences of Chi Kang". His horse paintings were greatly influenced by Lang Shining, an Italian missionary and Qing Dynasty painter. He often observed and sketched at the Shanghai racetrack. Chang Da-Chien especially admired his paintings of ladies. In addition, his daughter Chi Xiao-Ning remembered her father as a tireless and multi-talented learner in the art of painting, who also mounted his own paintings and even made several cameras himself, truly demonstrating his skillful and intelligent craftsmanship.

His works, known for their detailed and clean brushwork, smooth and fluid strokes, and elegant and restrained coloring, exude a unique aura and charm. After moving to the United States, his painting style changed significantly, leaning toward a more realistic style, a transformation related to his new environment and emotional state. The present work depicts Xikou in Fenghua, Zhejiang, the hometown of Chiang Kai-shek, and symbolizes the noble and sublime character of generations through its serene and simple water landscape. 

Accession Number:PT06902200