Abstraction

Irene Chou (also known as Zhou Luyun) has been hailed as one of the most innovative artists in the “new ink painting” movement of Hong Kong. In the 1970s she painted under the instruction of Lingnan school masters. Together they began experimenting to break free of traditional styles, moving toward abstract and expressionist modes. At the time, spaceships and satellites struck their artistic imaginations, as they offered a spectacular view of the universe. When the artist turned to spontaneous compositions in the 1980s, spirituality became an inspiration for her creativity. Fascinated with turbulence and flux, she endeavored to convey a sense of cosmic force, as seen in this work.

One can imagine that the black knob on the left of the composition transforms air, as if from a balloon, into a series of whirls, and eventually into a circle. The artist’s energetic, abstract work, executed with vibrant drips and splashes, is widely admired for its fresh, distinctive style.