An Artwork of Coming Together
Prof. Emily Lai, the Chairperson of Ling Ngai Art Association and a painter with Lingnan style, presented her artwork Longzong to S.H. Ho College. The term Longzong signifies the idea of coming together and finds its roots in Chapter 2: Starting with the Truth of the ancient Chinese text Huainanzi.
S.H. Ho College is a vibrant community of 600 students, encouraging integration between teachers and students. The College brings together students from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds, fostering an environment that celebrates unity in diversity. This principle resonates with the meaning of Longzong.
As an outstanding fourth-generation painter of the Lingnan School, Prof. Lai learned under Prof. Ng Yuet-lau, a disciple of the renowned Lingnan School Master Chao Shao-an. Her artworks showcase the traditions of the Lingnan School while incorporating techniques from Western painting. Dr. Louis Ng Chi-wa, Museum Director of Hong Kong Palace Museum, described her as “skilled in sketching, with a unique understanding of natural scenery. She uses brush and ink to capture charm and interest, demonstrating the free-spiritedness and vitality in Prof. Ng’s landscape paintings while keeping her own unique style.”
Prof. Lai aims to pass on the art of the Lingnan School of China through various channels such as art exhibitions and teaching, promoting Chinese cultural art to art enthusiasts from different backgrounds and social strata, especially imparting traditional Chinese art and cultural education to young people. In June 2023, during the trip of “Sketching Fuji” organised by S.H. Ho College, Prof. Lai, along with other teachers from the Ling Ngai Art Association, accompanied College students to the scenic spots near Mount Fuji, such as Lake Yamanaka and Lake Kawaguchi. They used brushes to record the natural beauty and provided one-on-one guidance to each student in the evenings, offering painting instructions to improve their techniques.
Biography of Prof. Emily Lai
Prof. Emily Lai currently serves as a director of the Guangxi Artists Association and Chairperson of the Ling Ngai Art Association. She is visiting professor at Shaoguan University, and taught in Chinese painting courses at the School of Continuing and Professional Education of City University of Hong Kong, Chinese ink painting courses at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the Master Workshop of Young Artists Development Programme by the Promotion of Young Artists Foundation. She judged for the Hong Kong Youth Cultural and Arts Competitions, and was appointed as a member of the Hong Kong Artists Association, and Asian curriculum consultant at the University of Indianapolis.
Her works have been displayed at various venues, including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Shaoguan University, Fudan University, Xiamen University, Kaiping Museum of Art, Foshan Shijingyi Liuziying Kangli Culture Art Gallery, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Japan, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taiwan, Taiwan University of Arts, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong Central Library, and Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui.
