20 May 2026

The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong – Foundation Gallery and Chamber of Young Snow jointly opened the exhibition “A World Alive with Feeling: The Equal Gaze in Ding Yanyong’s Art” today (20 May).

The exhibition features 16 sets of calligraphy and paintings by the renowned 20th-century Chinese artist, Mr Ding Yanyong. Through his gentle and equitable gaze, Ding’s works, depicting everyday living beings and human figures, quietly reveal the interconnectedness of all things, inviting viewers to perceive the world with compassion and enduring vitality.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition was officiated by Dr Stephen Suen, Founder of Chamber of Young Snow; Professor Simon Ho, President of HSUHK; and Professor Desmond Hui, Chairman of the Working Group on Foundation Gallery Curation.

Ding Yanyong is a pivotal figure in modern Chinese art. After early exposure to Western modernism, he returned to the roots of Chinese ink painting. During his decades of creation and teaching in Hong Kong, he forged a unique artistic language that bridges East and West, tradition and modernity.

The exhibition title, “A World Alive with Feeling”, draws on Buddhist ideas of equality and compassionate regard. It does not interpret Ding Yanyong’s works as religious paintings; rather, it adopts these philosophical ideas to highlight his vision of life, where all things are beheld together in quiet relation. This exhibition aims to show not only what Ding painted, but how he looked at the world: with gentleness, equality, and a distinctive vitality that continues to resonate through his brushwork.

The exhibition is organised into three sections. The first section, “Equal Regard for All Things”, celebrates the most ordinary creatures and familiar forms, elevating small lives through Ding’s compassionate eye. The second, “Beholding with a Gentle Eye”, explores the restraint, pauses, and concentration in his calligraphy, figures, and plants. The third, “Lotus Roots Carried South”, examines motifs such as lotus ponds and trailing vines, reflecting cultural roots and the continuation of brush-and-ink spirit from Chinese Mainland to its new life in Hong Kong.

Exhibition Catalogue: Link

Exhibition Details