Chinese ink painter Lui Shou-kwan and 4 artists he taught who developed their own styles

Lui Shou-kwan’s teaching influenced students from the New Ink Movement’s Wucius Wong to graphic designer and artist Kan Tai-keung

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Untitled I (2002) by Irene Chou, one of several artists who studied under master ink painter Lui Shou-kwan in Hong Kong in the 1960s who developed distinctive styles of painting. Photo: courtesy of Alisan Fine Arts

Published: 5:15pm, 5 May 2025

Fifty years after the Chinese ink painter Lui Shou-kwan died in Hong Kong at the relatively young age of 56, he is still regarded as one of the most influential artists the city has produced – one whose groundbreaking approach to art and pedagogy have influenced many artists who came after him.

After he retired from his job as an inspector for the Hong Kong and Yaumati Ferry Company in 1966, he taught Chinese ink painting at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong.

As a teacher, Lui challenged the prevailing orthodoxies of Chinese art education, which emphasised the importance of copying classical masters.

“Lui Shou-kwan as a teacher taught his students not to copy old masters or his work, as was the traditional way to learn Chinese paintings. Instead he told them to innovate. Thus you could see that most of his students have their own unique style,” says Daphne King-yao, director of Hong Kong art gallery Alisan Fine Arts, which has represented the late artist’s estate since 1984.

An undated photo of Lui Shou-kwan at work. Photo: Handout

We consider the careers of four of Lui’s students who became celebrated artists in their own right, each developing their own style that stand out from that of their teacher.

1. Wucius Wong

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