Choi Yan-chi

Choi Yan-chi (Chinese: 蔡仞姿; pinyin: Cai Renzi) (Born 1949) is "one of few veteran female artists in Hong Kong."^[1]

Biography

The following information is based on the only book devoted to artist Choi Yan-chi to date:^[2]

1949 Born in Hong Kong

1967-69 Northcote College of Education. Hong Kong, Teaching Certificate 羅富國教育學院

1969-70 Grantham College of Education, Hong Kong, Certificate for the Teaching of Art 葛量洪教育學院，美術教學特別三年級

1972 First solo show at the American Library, presented by the U.S.I.S. (Hong Kong) 第一次個展，美國新聞處畫廊

1973 Columbus College of Art and Design, USA

1974-76 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA, BFA.芝加哥藝術學院藝術學士课程

1976 Graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts. “Fellowship Show” awarded and sponsored by The Art Institute of Chicago (the Museum) 畢業於芝加哥藝術學院，獲藝術學士學位，作品獲選展出於芝加哥藝術博物館

1976-78 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA, MFA 畢業於芝加哥藝術學院，獲藝術碩士學位

1979 Began teaching at Hong Kong Polytechnic Swire School of Design任教於香港理工太古設計學院; also involved in part-time teaching at HKU and Chinese University’s extramural courses.

1980 First participation in performance: Journey to China《中國旅程》, an experimental theatre performance by The Hong Kong Art Centre 首次參與實驗劇場演出∶《中國旅程三》，香港藝術中心主辦

1982-86 Participated in stage design for Parting at River Yi 易水送別 and Othello 嫉 by the HK Repertory Theatre, and Fu 負 by the HK Dance Company

1986 Retreated from full-time teaching 辭去全職教席

1988 Program advisor to a RTHK 13-week television art magazine program 為香港電台之十三集藝術特輯《流光聚影》擔任製作顧問

1989-90 Artist residency in New York, funded by the Asian Cultural Council

1993-97 Resided in Toronto, Canada. 旅居加拿大多倫多

1997 Returned to Hong Kong

1998 Started 1a space, a non-profit-making art space funded by Hong Kong Arts Development Council 成立1a藝術空間, 為香港藝展局贊助之非牟利當代藝術展出場地

1998 Resumed full-time teaching:

Lecturer, Design Department, Institute of Vocational Education 恢复全職教學，任教於香港青衣科技學院

2003-05 Lecturer, Department of Music and Fine Arts, Baptist University 香港浸會大學音乐及艺术系讲师

2005-? Assistant Professor, Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University 香港浸會大學視覺藝術學院助理教授

2011 Granted an award by the Hong Kong Secretary of Home Affairs’ Commendation Scheme.

Selected exhibitions in Museums and Art institutions

[Group] “Landscape “, HK Cultural Center香港文化中心. 2000. “Contemporary Hong Kong Art”, HK Biennial 雙年展, Hong Kong Museum of Art 香港藝術館; 2001. “Home Affair” 家事展, HK Heritage Museum at Sam Tung Uk Gallery 香港文化博物館 1999. “Bad Rice” show歪米展, Next Wave Festival, Melbourne, Australia 澳洲墨爾本; 1998. ”Bad Rice” show 歪米展, Damen Art Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan 台灣台北; 1999. ”Hong Kong Festival” 香港藝術節, Munich, Germany 由慕尼黑歌德學院主辦; 1997. ”River”　河流展︰新亞洲藝術對話在台北, Taipei. Taiwan 帝門藝術基金會台北縣政府主辦; 1997. “City at the end of time”, Vancouver, Canada 加拿大溫哥華. 1997. “Journey to China” 中國旅程Center for the Arts, HK University of Science and Technology 香港科技大學藝術館;1997. “City Vibrant” 城市變奏, Hong Kong Museum of Art 香港藝術館; 1992. ”Turn of the Decade” 轉變的年代, Hong Kong Arts Centre 香港藝術中心; 1989. ”Out of Context”, on a mansion on Kennedy Road organised by Hong Kong Arts Centre 1988. ”10 Years of Hong Kong Paintings”’ 香港十年繪畫展，Hong Kong Arts Center 香港藝術中心; 1985. ”Into the 80's” 八十年代–香港繪畫. Hong Kong Arts Center香港藝術中心; 1984.

[Solo show 個展] Red Head Gallery, Toronto, Canada 加拿大多倫多; 1996. Mercer Union, Toronto, Canada 加拿大多倫多; 1994. Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany 德國柏林; 1993. ”The First Asia-Pacific Triennial” 第一屆亞太三年展, Queensland Art Gallery, Australia 澳洲昆士蘭藝術館; 1993. Asia American Arts Center, New York 紐約; 1991. “An extension into spaced” 空間內外, (the first exhibition of installation works in Hong Kong), Hong Kong Arts Center 香港藝術中心; 1985. From the Wall to the Floor, Hong Kong Arts Center 香港藝術中心; 1979.

[Solo retrospective] [Re-]Fabrication - A Research-based Exhibition on Choi Yan-chi’s 30 Years: Paths for Inter –Disciplinarity in Art (1975-2005), curated by Linda Chiu-han Lai, 11 Nov - 23 Dec, 2006, Para Site, Hong Kong. A parallel exhibition, {Re-]Vision, was held at 1a on 1–29 November 2006. The duet-exhibition was accompanied by a 332-page catalogue with the same title as the exhibition, published by Para Site.

Performance

1980 Journey to the East, Part III中國旅程三, presented by the Hong Kong Arts Centre香港藝術中心主辦

1988 As Slow as Possible 慢之極, presented by Hong Kong Regional Council香港區域市政局主辦

1989 Object-activi-ties 東西遊戲, presented by Hong Kong Institute for the Promotion of Chinese Culture香港中華文化促進中心主辦

1991 Melting 溶, presented by Hong Kong Goethe-Institut for Joseph Beuy’s exhibition香港歌德學院回應Joseph Beuy’s 展覽活動, Hong Kong Arts Centre 香港藝術中心

Curated Shows

1996 Beyond the Stock Market and Kungfu Movie: Hong Kong Art, an introduction in Toronto, presented by Hong Kong Trade & Economic Office in Canada 香港駐多倫多經貿處主辦，加拿大多倫多，1996

1998 Paintings in Hong Kong 繪畫香港

2002 Behind the Eyeball

2003 Tree-Man: retrospectives of Danny Yung〈樹．人〉（榮念曾回顧展）, presented by 1a Space1a 藝術空間主辦

　

Consultancy

1998 Co-founder, Chairperson, board of directors, 1a Space. 成立1a藝術空間

1998-04 [ending year needs to verify] Chairperson, 1a Space (non-profit Art Space funded by Hong Kong Arts Development Council

1999 Co-op member 成員, Hong Kong Arts Development Council香港藝術發展局, Visual Arts Section視覺藝術組別

2002 Steering Group, Venice Biennial - Hong Kong 威尼斯雙年展, Hong Kong Arts Development Council香港藝術發展局

2003 Adjudicator 評審, Hong Kong Art Biennial香港雙年展, Hong Kong Museum of Art香港藝術館

Grants and Awards (Hong Kong)

1989-91 C.I.T.I.C. Grant of Asia Cultural Council. 亞洲文化協會: Artist-in-residence (New York) and travel in the U.S. 客居紐約及美國藝術家

1990 Visiting Artist Grant 英國文化協會; British Council to travel England 旅英客座藝術家

1998 “Artist of the Year” 藝術家年獎, Hong Kong Arts Development Council 香港藝術發展局

Grants and Awards (Overseas)

1976 Fellowship Show 院士展／得獎者展, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago　, awarded and sponsored by the Art Institute of Chicago (Museum) 美國芝加哥藝術博物館

1989-90 CITIC Fellowship, Artist-in-residence in New York and travel in US 紐約及美國客座藝術家, Asian Cultural Council 亞洲文化協會

1990 Artist-in-residence 客座藝術家, Yellow Spring Art Institute, Penn, U.S.A.美國

1992 Artist-in-residence 客座藝術家, ‘Heinrich-Boll-Stiftung’ Grant, Berlin, Germany 德國柏林

1993 Travel Grant, Canada Council, Canada 加拿大文化局

1994 B Grant (for artists with achievement), Canada Council, Canada 藝術家年獎，加拿大文化局

1994 Visual Artist Grant 視覺藝術獎助, Artist-in-residence 藝術於教育、展覽獎助, Ontario Art Council, Canada 安眷藝術局

1995 Visual Artist Grant 視覺藝術獎助, Artist-in-education 藝術於教育, Ontario Art Council, Canada 安眷藝術局

1996 Travel Grant, Canada Council, Canada 加拿大文化局

1996 Visual Artist Grant, Artist-in-education 藝術於教育, Ontario Art Council, Canada 安眷藝術局

Books

1998 ‘Space and Passion’, the art of Hon Chi-Fun, partially funded by Hong Kong Arts Development Council 香港藝術發展局

2006 [Re-]Fabrication: Choi Yan-chi's30 years, paths of inter-disciplinarity in art; researched and edited by Linda Chiu-han Lai, supported by Hong Kong Arts Development Council; part of the "Hong Kong Artists in the 1980s" series, Para Site Art Space.

Invitations (International program)

1992 “Contemporary Asia Arts Conference,” a paper presented in the first conference by Asia Society, New York.紐約

1992 ‘Global Forum on Human survival and the Arts’ – an international conference on the issues of arts and environmental protection in Shimane, Japan 日本

1993 The First Asian Pacific Triennial, Queensland Art Gallery

Professional Experience

Assistant Professor, Academy of Visual Arts, HK Baptist University, 2005–present.

Lecturer, HK Baptist University, Department of Music and Fine Arts; 2003–2005　助理教授，視覺藝術學院，香港浸會大學

Lecturer, Institute of Vocational Education. Design Department; 1998–2003　講師，香港青衣科技學院

Part-time Lecturer, Hong Kong University. Department of Fine Art 1984–1993 兼職講師，香港大學藝術系

Lecturer, Hong Kong Polytechnic, Swire School of Design; 1978 – 86　香港理講師，工學院設計學院　

Collection of Art Work (public institutions)

HK Heritage Museum 香港文化博物館 2006. HK Central Library (artwork on loan programme) 香港中央圖書館 2003. HK Heritage Museum 香港文化博物館 1998. HK Museum of Art 香港藝術館1987.

Scholarly and Creative Activities

Publication 出版物:

”Space and Passion, the art of Hon Chi-Fun”, partially funded by Hong Kong Arts Development Council; 1998.

Papers presented: ”Contemporary Asia Arts Conference”, Asia Society, New York; 1992.

“Art Education and Visual Culture,” HKSEA (Society of Education in Art) 2003.

References