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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was privileged to have invited Prof. Wu Weishan, President of the China Sculpture Academy, Chinese National Academy of Arts, as a guest speaker for the Lecture Series in Arts and Humanities co-organized by CUHK and Shun Hing Group. He presented a lecture on ‘A Cultural Perspective on My Sculpture’ today (2 October) on CUHK campus. The lecture attracted an audience of about 200, including CUHK staff and students, members from academic and fine arts, as well as members of the public.

Professor Wu has been engaged in sculpture for over 20 years, creating more than 400 pieces on subjects including historical and cultural notables as well as ordinary people. His works have been exhibited in more than 20 countries around the world. In the lecture, Professor Wu discussed his cultural view through his four sculptures: ‘The Sleeping Child’, ‘Lao Tsu’, ‘Confucius’ and ‘The Fleeing from Calamity Group’.

Prof. Wu Weishan is an eminent sculptor and Member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Director of the Institute of National Contemporary Art, Director of the Institute of Fine Arts of the Chinese National Academy of Arts, President of the China Academy of Sculpture, and Director, Professor of the Academy of Fine Arts of Nanjing University.

Professor Wu’s sculptures have been recognized through numerous awards in different important exhibitions and competitions, including the Pangolin Award, the Recognition Award of the Third Exhibition of City Sculpture in China, and the Recognition Award of City Sculpture in China. He was awarded as Honorary Doctor of Philosophy of Korea Inje University in 2007 and Honorary Fellow of CUHK in 2010. Professor Wu is also a Member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, and a Member of the Society of Portrait Sculptors, UK. He was also invited to be a judge of the final round of The 11th National Exhibition of Art, PRC in 2009.

For Professor Wu, the past 20 years have been dedicated to promoting Chinese culture via the art of sculpture. He has created many sculptures of historical and cultural world figures such as Qi Baishi, Fei Xiaotong and Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands. His works have spread through more than 20 countries and regions. He is also a pioneer and advocate of a new style of ‘freehand sculpture’, a technique which seeks to integrate the concept of traditional Chinese philosophy with aesthetics, blazing a new trail for expressive sculpture in China. Professor Wu has a long association with CUHK. He was the S.Y. Chung Visiting Fellow of New Asia College and sculpted many important Chinese University figures, for example, the Founding Vice-Chancellor Dr. Choh-ming Li, the Founding President of New Asia College Prof. Ch’ien Mu, Prof. Yang Chen-ning, Dr. the Honourable Simon Li Fook-sean, Prof. the Honourable Jao Tsung-I, and Former Vice-Chancellor and Nobel Laureate Prof. Sir Charles Kao.

Other distinguished persons to present the Shun Hing Lecture Series in Arts and Humanities following Prof. Wu Weishan include: Dr. Lam Bun-ching, composer, conductor and pianist; Mr. Jimmy Liao, picture book author; and Ms. Sylvia Chang, actress, scriptwriter and director. Details are to be announced. The first lecture of the series by renowned Confucianism scholar Prof. Tu Weiming was successfully held. Interested parties can review the lecture at the CUTV website: www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/cutv/category/21.

Introduction of Shun Hing Lecture Series in Arts and Humanities

To mark the 60^th anniversary of the Shun Hing Group and the 50^th anniversary of CUHK in 2013, the Shun Hing Lecture Series in Arts and Humanities has been established with a generous donation from the Shun Hing Group.  The lecture series aims at promoting cultural knowledge and scholarly pursuits in the arts and humanities. Distinguished scholars from four major areas, Music, Drama and Film, Literature and Art, as well as Philosophy and Thinking, will be invited to give public lectures.

Since its establishment, CUHK has committed itself as much to teaching and academic research as to upholding the humanistic spirit. Through a wide selection of programmes on offer in general education, exchange and social services programmes, as well as different kinds of lectures and conferences. CUHK strives to encourage students and the public to improve their humanistic quality by thinking critically and appreciating different cultures and philosophies. The Shun Hing Lecture Series in Arts and Humanities launched by CUHK and the Shun Hing Group aims to inspire participants to understand and appreciate the art of living, to review their current state and explore the prospects, so that they become all-round global citizens with a strong sense of social responsibility and a heart to serve.

The Shun Hing Group has been a staunch supporter of CUHK since the 1960’s. Over the years, major donations have been received to finance scholarships, exchange and training programmes at the University, as well as the Internet-based Robotics Inter-School Competition to nurture diverse and creative talents. Thanks to the generous support of Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund, Chair Professorship of Mathematics was set up at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences; various laboratories, Shun Hing Institute of Advanced Engineering, and William Mong Eye Centre of Tsinghua University & CUHK were also established for engineering and medical developments.

About Shun Hing Group

Established in 1953, the Shun Hing Group is the sole agent for Panasonic products in Hong Kong and Macau manufactured by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (now known as Panasonic Corporation). Over the past 60 years, the Group has remained a firm Hong Kong market leader in their field. In addition to serving as sole agent for home appliances, audio-visual products, telecommunications systems, business equipment and office furniture, the Shun Hing Group is also involved in engineering, contracting and electrical appliance servicing. Logistics, advertising production, system installation and maintenance, as well as property investment and management in China are among the Group’s other core activities.

True to the spirit of give and take, the Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund was established in 1984. The Fund has donated approximately HK$1,000 million towards projects in Hong Kong and China that benefit education, healthcare, recreation, sports and environmental protection over the years.

For more photos, please visit:
https://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/en/events_recap_detail.php?id=140&s=