鍾壽仁   Zhong, Shou-Ren   1927~1999

Shou-Ren Zhong, style name Dong-Yang, was born in Dongyang city, Zhejiang province, China, in 1927. He named his studio as Huanbi Pavilion . After graduating from the University of Manila, the Philippines, Zhong joined the Guard of the Nationalist government in his younger days and served as a guardian for Chiang Kai-Shek. Later, he worked as Clerk of the Office of the President and held posts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of the R.O.C. in the Philippines. He studied under the guidance of calligrapher and painter Fang Chen who was proficient in bamboo painting. Zhong’s area of emphasis was the Four Noble Ones (i.e. the plum blossom, the orchid, the chrysanthemum, and the bamboo) and he excelled especially in bamboo painting in ink. His calligraphy work was graceful and sophisticated and became a classic in its own right. Zhong was a true heir of “traditional poetic sketch” and “massive bamboo scenery.” By integrating the strong points of these two schools, he attained unprecedented artistic achievements. With his specialization in ink application, Zhong’s bamboo paintings are characterized by balanced shading and clearly defined layers. It can even be said that his creations epitomize bamboo paintings in ink. In 1972, Shou-Ren Zhong won the first prize of the the Zhongshan Literary and Artistic Creation Award for his giant folding screen of four pages on which the graceful bearing of bamboo was drawn under the wind, the sun, the rain and the snow. In 1978, he was invited to exhibit hundreds of his works at the National Gallery. Zhong was a regular participant in National Fine Arts Exhibitions and touring exhibitions in numerous cities across Europe, the United States and Asia. He was also the author of Collection of Shou-Ren Zhong’s Bamboo Painting and Collection of Shou-Ren Zhong’s Artistic Creations.