THIS SUMMER it was a great pleasure to attend the opening ceremony for two important museum shows in Hong Kong. Both exhibitions were impressive and inspiring.
The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) received a generous donation of more than 2000 Qing dynasty Cantonese and export artefacts from Dr Simon Kwan, founder of the Muwen Tang Collection and a distinguished Hong Kong architect. This marks the largest single donation the museum has ever received, encompassing over ten distinct categories, including export paintings, painted enamels, silverware, fans, ivory carvings, textiles, lacquerware and timepieces.
In honour of this gift, the HKMoA has designated the Muwen Tang Gallery of Cantonese and Export Art to display these exceptional treasures, and launched the inaugural exhibition, “Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art”, which runs until July 4th, 2027. The exhibition features more than 120 representative sets of donated iconic items of Cantonese art, from imperial tribute to export goods, which chart the golden age of Guangdong’s artistic achievements.
Hong Kong is home to many collectors, who are devoted to preserving and promoting Chinese culture by building distinctive private collections—and Dr Kwan stands out as a leading example. This collection is comprehensive in scope and rich in variety, with each piece being exceptionally precious. It will help consolidate HKMoA’s global leadership in the collection and study of export art.
Dr Kwan said he has always been deeply fascinated by cultural relics from Guangdong and, over the past five decades, he has had the opportunity to collect a selection of Guangdong fine artefacts from the Qing dynasty. He is deeply gratified that his collection has now been entrusted to the HKMoA. This donation will support crucial initiatives, including research, conservation and restoration, publication, storage and exhibitions. He hopes that the donation will ultimately help the museum showcase Cantonese culture with greater representation and further promote Lingnan art.
The Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) presents a special exhibition, “The Qianlong Emperor: A Legacy in Art, The Huaihaitang Collection”, which runs until October 18th, 2026. Mr Anthony K.W. Cheung, Master of Huaihaitang and Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the CUHK Art Museum, is a good friend and longtime subscriber to Arts of Asia. At the opening ceremony on June 15th, Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President, said: “We are privileged to appreciate these treasures on the CUHK campus, an opportunity of profound significance for passing on this heritage. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr Anthony Cheung for his generous support to CUHK, particularly to the Art Museum. Since 1996, Mr Cheung has donated more than 600 items to the university. In addition, Mr Cheung has established various funds to support the study of art history. His selfless dedication to cultural heritage is truly inspiring, and we deeply admire his extraordinary generosity.”
This exhibition features important donations from the Huaihaitang Collection to the CUHK Art Museum. Through six thematic sections, the exhibition explores Qing court art across diverse domains, encompassing imperial lineage, tribute systems, weaving, enamels, printing and ritual protocols. Together, these sections reconstruct the production of Qing court art and highlight its exceptional historical value.
On July 24th, 2026, it was announced that Dr Louis Ng, Museum Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), will retire from his role in early January 2027 upon the completion of his contract. During Dr Ng’s tenure, the HKPM curated close to forty thematic and special exhibitions, fostered global partnerships, including collaborations with the Palace Museum and leading cultural institutions in France, the United Kingdom, Qatar and Egypt, welcoming over 4.6 million visitors and establishing itself as Hong Kong’s cultural tourism landmark. We have enjoyed working with Dr Ng since the museum’s grand opening in July 2022 and everyone at Arts of Asia wishes him success in his future endeavours.
I would like to announce that The Nippon Club in New York City will honour Susan Tosk, its longtime member, in a memorial exhibition titled “Keen Vision”, from September 14th–30th, 2026. Meiji period masterworks will be lent by Orientations Gallery and private collectors, with Sachiko Hori as Curator and David Cole as Collection Advisor. A particular focus will be on metalwork by Jomi Eisuke of Kyoto and cloisonné enamels by Honda Yosaburo of Nagoya. This will be the inaugural exhibition at the highly anticipated new headquarters of The Nippon Club at 604 Fifth Avenue in the Rockefeller Center area.
Finally, many thanks to all our readers for your wonderful support. I hope you will enjoy this Autumn 2026 issue featuring brilliant articles on the theme of “Gold & Silver” in Asian art. As always, I look forward to meeting you at upcoming Asian art events, auctions and exhibitions.
Please click here to view the contents of this issue.
Subscribe
Calendar
Links
Gift
