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Charles Chu catches the sweep
of the Connecticut River from Old Saybrook to the Vermont mountains in the
monumental landscape scroll that is the highlight of this exhibition of his
works from the last six decades. Both Chu's mastery of Chinese landscape
painting and his familiarity with New England are evident in the great luminous
washes of his mountains and the delicate quick strokes of his forests and towns,
all caught in the richly poetic vocabulary of Chinese painting. A master painter
informed by a lifetime of observation and reflection, Charles Chu's humanity and
eye for nature comes out in all of the works: his line is delicate yet sinewy,
his colors subdued and yet sensuous. One of the most distinguished Chinese
painters in the United States, Charles Chu's rugged New England landscapes, his
charming and simple animals and his stunning flowers are known throughout the
world. This exhibition draws on Charles Chu's work from the last six decades.
Charles Chi-Jung Chu was born
in 1918 in a small farming village in Hebei Province, China. His mother
called him "Little Frog" when he was a young and, one can imagine, active boy.
Everyone who has witnessed his lightness of spirit and boundless energy can
understand why this nickname suits him. Charles is an accomplished
painter, professor, calligrapher, and scholar. He established and directed
the Chinese program at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Until his
retirement in 1984, Professor Chu taught Chinese language, literature, and the
history of Chinese painting. His love of art and of life itself permeates his
buoyant view of the world, his enjoyment of moments large and small, and his
delight in the beauty of nature.
April 2 through May 25
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