Yuchengco Museum is hosting a special exhibition of 36 Chinese brush paintings and calligraphy rendered by two generations of Chinese artists: father Lai You Sun and daughter Yueh Faye Lai. Entitled Painted Memories, the exhibition is currently on view at the museum until January 16, 2016.
Painted Memories presents 21 works from Lai You Sun and 15 pieces from Yueh Faye Lai. On display are portraits, landscapes, animals, and calligraphy created with a variety of both traditional and modern techniques. The exhibition is held in commemoration of the 110th anniversary of Lai You Sun, whose works are on public view for the very first time.
“In 1985, after my mother passed away, my father became a lonely figure in Taiwan,” shares daughter Yueh Faye. “I convinced him to move to California, to stay with me, and there he started to paint… He painted almost every day, working in watercolor, acrylic and Chinese inks,” she adds.
Lai You Sun may not have had formal art training, but he expressed his creations using classical techniques. He painted tirelessly for nine years, and left Yueh Faye nearly 400 paintings. “I have kept his beloved creations all these years as a reminder of his courage, passion for art, love for life, as well as inspiration for my own work,” she says.
Yueh Faye Lai, on the other hand, has always loved art, having studied the classics under masters such as Chu Hing-wah and Huang Yongyu as a young girl in Taiwan. After a nearly 50-year sabbatical from her passion, Yueh Faye has recently decided to return to her canvas and paint from the masterpieces that have inspired her throughout her life. The works on exhibit convey Yueh Faye’s journey from student to unique artist, applying a range of emotions and aesthetics.
Painted Memories is part of Yuchengco Museum’s “Full Circle” exhibition series, which showcases how the works of Chinese and Sino-Filipino families the highlight the flow of creativity and artistry from one generation to the next.
Painted Memories: The Works of Lai You San and Yueh Faye Lai is on view at Yuchengco Museum from November 24, 2015 to January 16, 2016. The museum is located at RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala and Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenues, Makati. Museum hours are Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (632) 889-1234 or visit www.yuchengcomuseum.org.
