Draft:Johnson Chow Su-sing

Johnson Chow Su-sing
Chinese: 周士心
Johnson Chow Su-sing (Zhou Shixin)
Born	(1923-02-21)February 21, 1923 Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Died	May 11, 2021(2021-05-11) (aged 98) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Citizenship	Chinese-Canadian
Education	Suzhou Fine Arts College
Known for	Painting, calligraphy
Movement	Traditional Chinese literati painting (Wu School influences)
Spouse	Lu Xinru (m. ?–2011)
Children	Frank Chow, Amelia Chow

Johnson Chow Su-sing (Chinese: 周士心; February 21, 1923 – May 11, 2021), also known as Susing Chow or Zhou Shi Xin, was a Chinese-born Canadian painter, calligrapher, art educator, and promoter of traditional Chinese literati painting. He was a leading figure in overseas Chinese art communities, particularly in Vancouver, where he founded major artist organizations and taught generations of students.

Early life and education

Chow was born in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, into a family that supported his artistic development from an early age. He began studying painting at age eight under his father, Zhou Chilu. His brother instructed him in bamboo painting and seal carving, while an uncle taught poetry, verse, and calligraphy. He later studied at the Suzhou Fine Arts College (Suzhou Meizhuan), graduating in 1944. There he received training in flower painting from Wu Silan, fruit and vegetable depiction from Liu Junran, and birds and insects from Zhang Xingjie.He also received traditional training under the private tutelage of Wu Zishen and Wu Silan.

Career

Hong Kong years (1949–1971)

To escape the Chinese Civil War, Chow moved to Hong Kong in June 1949, where he lived for 21 years and regarded it as his "second homeland." He worked at a local bookstore while continuing to paint and teach Chinese painting. He became acquainted with masters including Wu Zishen and Zhang Daqian, forming a close friendship with the latter that inspired his study of Bada Shanren and splashed-ink landscape techniques. He published a book about their relationship titled Danqian and I.

Chow was elected vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Chinese Art Club and organized cultural events with scholars and painters of the Ningnan School. He held numerous solo exhibitions; some works were shipped to New York on the recommendation of the Hong Kong branch of the World Christian Council. In 1957 he won the Hong Kong Youth Chinese Painting Competition. He joined the Fine Arts Department of the New Asia College in 1962, which became The Chinese University of Hong Kong a year later.

North America and Canada (1971–2021)

In 1971 Chow moved with his family to the United States, living initially in California. He taught advanced studies at UCLA and served as curator of Chinese art at the Asian Pacific Art Museum until 1980. He then settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

In Vancouver he became a professor and mentor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), teaching classical Chinese painting through an extension course—the first of its kind at the university. The course attracted many students, including non-Chinese learners new to the medium. After six years he left UBC to focus on other projects but continued teaching private students. In 1991 (or 1993 per some sources) he founded the Chinese Canadian Artists Federation in Vancouver, which grew to several hundred members and organized joint exhibitions for cultural exchange. In 2012 he co-founded the Wu School Art Association (Wumen Painting Society). Wu School, characterised by refined and elegant brushwork from the Sung Dynasty, had a significant impact on the Jiangnan area, which endured into the modern era.

Chow taught more than one thousand students from China and abroad over his career. He remained active in the Vancouver art community, holding monthly gatherings with other Chinese Canadian artists and supporting cultural events at local temples and galleries.

Artistic style and influences

Chow worked primarily in the traditional Chinese literati (wenren) scholar-artist tradition, excelling in landscape (shan shui), birds-and-flowers (hua niao), and calligraphy. He was known for his fidelity to classical techniques while developing a personal modern expression, often described as continuing the Wu School (Wumen) lineage. Influences included Bada Shanren (via Zhang Daqian) and splashed-ink methods. Later in life he created notable ink paintings of Western and international landscapes, including the Grand Canyon, Canadian Rockies, Iguazu Falls, and Chinese sites such as Huangshan and Jiuzhaigou, adapting traditional media to new subjects.

He also produced specialized albums, such as the Hundred Longevity Stones series at age 80.

Exhibitions, collections, and honors

Chow's work received significant institutional recognition. In 2011 the Hong Kong Museum of Art presented the major retrospective exhibition Johnson Chow Su-sing: A Tranquil Heart in Art (丹青士心: 周士心的藝術). Around this time he donated approximately 47 works to the museum. His paintings and calligraphy are held in permanent collections including the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, Suzhou Museum, Suzhou Art Museum, and the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

He received the British Columbia Community Achievement Award and other civil honors from provincial and municipal governments for his contributions to British Columbia's artistic and cultural mosaic. In 2014 the local government in Suzhou's Mudu Town established the Zhou Shixin Art Museum in his honor. His work has appeared at auction internationally, with records on platforms such as Artprice and MutualArt.

Publications and writings

Chow authored and published numerous books, albums, and teaching materials on Chinese painting techniques, theory, history, and specific subjects (bamboo, vegetables, fruits, insects, aquatic animals, stones, etc.). Notable examples include collections from 1968 onward, the Hundred Longevity Stones Album (2002), and compilations of his writings. For nearly four years he contributed a weekly column to Sing Tao Daily, later compiled into the book Painting Emotions and Interests (2004), which surveyed 4,000 years of landscape painting history and nearly 200 famous Chinese painters. He was among the first scholars to produce a major study of Bada Shanren that was translated into Japanese.

Selected works

• Yanhuo Qingjing (岩壑清景, Rocky Ravines and Clear Scenery) — a representative landscape painting.
• Baishi Tuji (百石图集, Hundred Stones Album / Hundred Longevity Stones Album) — a major album created around age 80 featuring one hundred different stone subjects.
• Zhou Shixin Tan Yi Lu (周士心谈艺录) — a collection of his commentaries on art theory and technique.

Personal life and legacy

Chow was married to Lu Xinru (also referred to as Mrs. Chow), who passed away in 2011. He had children son Frank Chow and daughter Amelia Chow. He continued creating prolifically into his later years in Vancouver and remained engaged with the local Chinese Canadian community until his death on May 11, 2021, at age 98.

A detailed profile of his life and philosophy appeared in China Daily in 2015. Tributes from Canadian politicians, artists, students, and cultural organizations highlighted his humility, generosity (including numerous charitable donations of artwork), dedication to education and cultural promotion, and role as a bridge between traditional Chinese art and Western audiences. Former British Columbia Premier Christy Clark and others praised his contributions to the province's cultural mosaic. His philosophy was often summarized by the quote attributed in tributes: "While there is an end to life, there are no boundaries in art."

External links

• Official website
• Asia Art Archive – Exhibition records

Category:1923 births Category:2021 deaths Category:Canadian painters Category:Chinese emigrants to Canada Category:Painters from Suzhou Category:Canadian calligraphers Category:Canadian art educators