‘Children’s Paradise’ – The Art of Lo Koon Chiu

 

Born in 1918, Lo Koon-chiu first learned the art of traditional Chinese painting in his high school days and later graduated from the Guangzhou Municipal School of Fine Arts in 1938 with a major in Western painting. After moving to Hong Kong in 1947 Lo founded the full colour children’s comic book Children’s Paradise in 1953 in the capacity of both editor in chief and artist. Thus becoming one of the first generation illustrators in Hong Kong. Original and refreshing his comics sought inspiration in every day life and aptly reflected the local social culture and children’s interests in those days. With the aspiration of fostering good morals and temperament in children, he set his hopes on changing society with a childlike innocence, maintaining that art can serve both to educate society and to realize the ”beauty of life.”

For more than five decades now Lo has devoted his determined efforts to creating art. His career covers an extremely wide spectrum in addition to being a comic book illustrator, he has actively promoted the advance of traditional Chinese painting. His works are truly diverse, running the gamut from landscapes, through portraits, flowers and birds and animals to calligraphy. Among them Lo’s works on themes involving children of Lingnan are perhaps the most impressive thanks to his vivid and detailed depictions and strong interpretations of children in rural and urban settings, the lives they lead and the games they play.(1)

Source: The Children’s Paradise: The Art of Lo Koon Chiu, Hong Kong Heritage Museum

This article was first posted on 5th December 2023.

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