Chu Tsz-mung, a 17-year-old student at Good Hope School, discovered her passion for Chinese painting in 2018 through a trial class.
“I had learned different types of painting before, but Chinese painting was very different because you could express everything using just water and ink,” she recalled.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, when on-campus lessons were paused, she turned to self-learning by studying classical works and exploring new styles.
“I discovered modern styles that incorporate Western influences, like those of painter Zhang Yu. His paintings were beautiful, and I started imitating them,” she said.
SOTY 2023/24: Language is expression and connection for Linguist (Mandarin) second runner-up
She believes Chinese painting is not widely known among students.
“Most art classes in school focus on Western painting, like oil and acrylics. There aren’t many teaching resources for Chinese painting, and there aren’t many teachers either. Students only see it in museums,” she said.
Winning the Grantham Visual Arts Award in 2021 was a turning point for her art journey: “It was my first major award in secondary school. My art teacher invited me to participate, and I thought I had little chance. Winning gave me the confidence to keep painting.”
Tsz-mung won with a landscape and a painting of people washing horses. “The landscape was large – about 1.3 metres long. At that time, I was still copying classical works,” she explained.
Since winning the Grantham award, she has participated in more competitions, including the Sovereign Art Foundation competition this year, where she was shortlisted.
One of Chu Tsz-mung’s award-winning art works. Photo: Handout
“My first exhibition was in 2021 when my award-winning paintings were displayed at a venue near the Central Harbourfront,” she said. “Seeing my work exhibited was memorable.”
She has also used art to support charitable causes. One of her most significant works was FeiLong, an ink-on-paper painting. Created when she was 14, it depicts a dragon in a dynamic and intricate composition.
She blended traditional Chinese painting techniques with modern touches, incorporating gold detailing. The painting sold for HK$12,000 as part of the Sovereign Art Foundation competition.
Tsz-mung was the winner in the Visual Artist Category at last year’s Student of the Year (SOTY) Awards, organised by the South China Morning Post and solely sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
SOTY 2023/24: Visual Artist second runner-up sees the beauty in Chinese calligraphy
Aside from painting, she is part of a pop band called Miraki. “I started the band in Form Four with some classmates. Our school did not have a pop band before, only classical ensembles. We were lucky to have two teachers who encouraged us,” she said.
The band quickly gained recognition: “Our first competition was in December 2023, where we won second place. This January, we won first place in a territory-wide school band competition.”
For Tsz-mung, painting is a personal pursuit, while the band is about teamwork: “Painting is something I do alone, while the band is about working with friends,” she said. “I enjoy seeing younger students learn instruments and form their own bands.”
Looking ahead, she has not decided on a specific academic path: “I haven’t thought much about what I want to study in university. But I will definitely continue painting, even if just as a hobby.”