1938-04-05 — Page 8

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THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 5, 1933.

WORKING ARTISTS GUILD

As the

Mother

the Hong ed with us Som

Kong Working Artist's Guild, the offered to arrange an exhibition for Shang Editor of the China Maž has asked him.

me to give an account of my "child" What we are, and why we are, and

Thereafter

refugee and other war

from ra

of Emma.

devastated. Bormann Mrs. Milch, wife of one of areas are looking to us for assistance the Austrian Doctors who came out on in one way and another. There are at a special mission to Nanking and is least four individual artists or groups now in charge of a hospital în Pak- we were inundated anxious to hold exhibitions, But the hoi)." Her work is internationally how we come to be. This is spacal with requests to arrange Exhibi- difficulty is to find suitable premises famous, and many specimens have ly in view of the Private Reception tions.

who

Uni-

One of the earliest was for for these. The Gloucester Lounge, been purchased by the British Museum at Mr. John Locke's Studio to mor- the late Mr. Hong Chen whose la- hitherto generously thrown open to as well as in America and the Con- row afternoon, which His Excellency mented death last year left China us, is no longer available. Alternative tinent. She is, or was until a week central places almost impossible to or so ago a lecturer on the theory and the Governor has graciously promis. Art poorer by a great genius find. Larger studios are not to be practice of Art at the Vienna ed to attend. This is neither a more successfully perhaps than any found or only at prices we 'cannot versity. We have been requested to social occasion, strictly speaking, nor other had effected a marriage of afford, as our present clientele is pre- exhibit a few examples of her work

Chinese and Western an ordinary Exhibition. It has been

Art. He carious.

and sell them, in part for the benefit of We have the nucleus for founding a the Chinese Red Cross. It is possib`e arranged so as to show a little of having showed in Paris for years School of Art, where talent

can be she might pay a visit to Hong Kong what we are already doing, to the groups of traditional Chinese ar: trained for free expression, by sound when we hope she will be of great as- kind friends who have helped to tists followed, from Canton from teaching of drawing and first princi- sistance to us in organising the School trained in ples by excellent teachers. We must find which we intend to start shortly. It keep our Guild in being during its Shanghai. Orientals infancy, to enable them to meet Europe or America or Canada. In a means of marketing steadily the will be seen that my infant child looks beautiful work produced here, for ar- like growing up, as it has become many of the Artists who are work- one year we had held nine such tists cannot live by beauty alone. The rather a Company than a single child. received the Travel Association offers us facilities Mr. Cyril Champkin is our Treasur- ing with us, and for these to meet Meanwhile we had

Mr. Champkin in my absence each other. Examples of the work greatest help and encouragment by for a small perpetual selling Show at er of as many as possible who have had the interest Sir Andrew Caldecott their Kiosk. We cannot get our mes carried on the Secretarial work with the mix Shows arranged by us, Chinese or took in our work and enterprise sage of peace and conciliation, above Luis Chan to whom we owe

the clouds of international quarrels, introduction to Chinese artists. European will be on view. There Lady Shenton who was also greatly jealousy and strife through to the is nothing invidious in our choice interested unfortunately left the Co- world unless we can reach those who of picture, we have tried to make lony soon after the new studio was would willingly buy. it as representative as possible and started. She left us her blessing in what I wrote in Tsingtao after I

to show the work of as many as we could collect in a short time with very limited space.

We also want our aims and hopes for the future to be understood by those interested in the future of Hong Kong as a centre of art and culture.

studio

old

and lots

of useful

BY

ANGLO-ITALIAN DECISION ON ABYSSINIA

Finally our aims may be summed up furniture, had got into touch with a group of Artists there, most of them Russian. "In Hong Kong there is a little group of artists and art lovers who dream of creating in that peaceful Colony a resi art centre, where West may learn from East, and East from West: whence new forms of Art may spring: where worth while original work may be

London, To-day. preserved, as also a selection of the The Anglo-Italian agreement, ancient art of the orient. Where ar- which was expected to be signed ists may receive recognition and give

IRENE MACFADYEN

of

some State-Trans-Ocean.

HONGKONG

HOTEL

MEET AND

LUNCH HERE

the

I feel rather like the old woman

each other mutual support while they at an early date will, according who had so many children she didn't

still live and can develop. They dream to press reports assume the char- that some day a great Art School may acter of a gentlemen's agreement know what to do! Less than two

be established which may attract stu- and will contain no reference to years and a half ago I set out with and a tradition of practical help nobly dents from all over the world to study

Abyssinia. three members of the old establish- carried on by he Heads of Deacons. the impact of East and West in Art Meanwhile the studio carried on under ed Art Club to get a co-operative great difficulty. Several of our ori- sent infant Guild is that it may be tion, both parties have agreed Concerning the Abyssinian ques- The inspiration of our at pre- ablished. It had been an ginal supporters left the Colony. Some come a real contribution to the cause that the League Council shall be dream of the Art Club to have á times we had a number of workers of Peace and Goodwill between the asked at its next session to author-

where models could be shared, who helped with the rent. At other peoples of the world.

ise member States of the League and continueus work could go on. times only two or three were left to It will be observed that we do not

bear the burden. In the latter part set ourselves up as Authorities on Art. to recover their freedom of action I was offered a half time studio at of 136 we made history as Mr. Lee Y. We hope to attract many who have whereupon the British Govern- Vera Valkova's Dance Studio. Three Tong put it by inviting Mr. Pau Shiu experience and knowledge and who ment will immediately recognise members agreed to start it with me, Yan, a well-known Chinese traditional will extend this to us by practical ad- the new Italian imperium. two men and another lady. The and yet very progressive and original vice and help by giving lectures etc.

artist who had been driven out

It is further reported, with re- founders were thus three Europeans, China by troubles ten years ago, to therhood all sincere artists so that we of Rather we want to unite in one bro-

gard to Palestine, that Italy will and one Chinese practising Western give a series of lessons in the Theory shall not, as hitherto, be working in make her agreement to the British style art. Some twelve members of and Practice of Chinese Art to train watertight compartments but in ma- partition plan dependent on the Art Club came up to "take" our ed European artists at the Studio. tual co-operation and appreciation.

These, continued for several months.

undertaking by the British Govern- first model, as an opening: and

About March, a year ago the Guild, to give exhibitions of the work of our

As soon as possible we are looking ment that south Palestine shall several then and there asked to come which had discovered that a real call members both Western and Oriental not be included in the Jewish and work there. In less than three for it work existed in Hong Kong, We have been entrusted with months over a dozen artists had encountered great discouragements. worked there for short or regular ceived promotion to Ceylon, and was Our friend Sir Andrew Caldecott re- periods, not counting the pupils of leaving us. Our Secretary Mrs R. T. some homeless teachers who had Barrett, herself a brilliant artist, had found hospitality with us for their suddenly to go Home on account classes, and we had one show.

failing health Many of our suppor- ters were leaving the Colony for good, That arrangement necessarily or like myself for months. It seemed came to an end with the winter in 25 if we must suspend our work. which would mean beginning all over crease of dancing pupils. We were again if we ever recovered from see- some months without a studio but ming to join the long list of Hong started again in our present place, Kong failures. In his parting ad-| a Wanchai Flat within a stone's dress to the Colony Sir Andrew Calde throw of the China Fleet Theatre, cott, who already had put us on the map" by his mention of our work in 51 Gloucester Road, in February '36. a Christmas Number of "The Sphere," It was then a new era started for expressed the hope that The Hong the Guid. I find myself now with Kong Working Artists Guild που over fifty children, what with work not be allowed to die. Then Dr. ers at the studio, exhibitiors with gues on the Legislative Council and us, art teachers etc. When we be- they generously collected sum of money gan anew our clientele had greatly as an experimental subscription to increased. To our original group keep us going over the emergency we had added several of the Chinese buting to this. That was shortly before

period Twenty people in all contri

artists trained in the Toronto School: I left the Colony early in July for of Art where they had been working Tsingtao, whence I only returned st with some thirteen other Chinese the end of last year. When I left the among five hundred non-Chinese expectation was that the guild should prepare a sort of Festival of local and students. Mr. Lee Y. Tong, who. South China Art to coincide with the had intended setting up an Art Tourist Association's Conference to bei School here, and had been forced held in Hong Kong from November 8 by family circumstances to

to 18 when we should have had the take over his dead brother's position requirements known to over a hundred opportunity of making, our aims and with the CPP. with which his delegates, coming for the second of family had been long connected, these Congresses to be held in the gave us his equipment for teaching. Orient. This hope was frustrated by Beside holding Diplomas of the Tor- war and its horrible consequences. The ento School he held a teacher's diplo its generous friends. At least four

Guild managed to survive, thanks t

ma. So did Mr. Lee Byng, Mr. Yee Exhibitions were held, much of the Bon. Mr. Diosdado Lorenzo, a Fili- proceeds of which were devoted to War pno who had studied and gained Victims and Red Cross work prizes in Spain and Rome had just

Kotewall interested four of his collea

There is opportunity now for the arrived, and at once became associat- Guild greatly to enlarge its functions.

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