appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Wilson Leung

They speak an indigenous dialect.

The father of modern China, Sun Yat-sen, was reputed to be one.

They are the Hakka. And although they migrated from the north of China to the southern provinces of Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangxi over 2,000 years ago, the Hakka people (the name means literally 'guest people') are still looked upon as a transient bunch.

However, they have also tenaciously defended their cultural heritage, resulting in a language, customs - even architecture - that distinguish them from the native tribes of Guangdong. Hakka artist Peng Qianghua, in his new exhibition, The Heat Of Summer, aims to show viewers what makes his people

so special.

Born in Meizhou, Guangdong - a traditional area of Hakka settlement - Peng's paintings portray village life as he remembers it as a child: simple and innocent. 'The Hakka people are hard-working, persevering, guileless and warm,' says the 57-year-old artist, who hopes to bring out these qualities in his art.

Though undoubtedly executed in the traditional Chinese style, his paintings show clear signs of Western influence, especially in the works' brilliant, vibrant colours. This is slightly

ironic as Hakkas are generally known to be among the most conservative of Chinese, particularly in sticking to traditions. However, another quality commonly attributed to Hakkas is a readiness to seek new opportunities. 'Like anything else, painting must progress and innovate,' says Peng.

Now living in Guangzhou, Peng, who left home at 16 to attend the Guangzhou Arts College, admits that nostalgia is part of the motivation for his paintings. 'The villages are now modernising, and many people are moving out of the traditional houses [portrayed in my paintings],' says Peng, who returns frequently, 'but there is nothing we can do about it.' Except, perhaps, to capture a snapshot of the dulcet past through his painting.

Until August 9. Galerie du Monde, 328, Pacific Place, Admiralty. Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm. Tel: 2525 0529.



On the road