Ting Yinyung
China, 1902-1978
Artist's works
Artist Profile
Frogs and Banana Leaves
Introduction and Experience
Ting Yinyung (1902–1978, Guangdong, China) was a seminal figure in 20th-century Chinese modern art, celebrated as a painter, calligrapher, seal carver, and art educator. He studied at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, where he was influenced by Fauvism and Expressionism. After returning to China, he became a driving force in the modernization of Chinese art, active in the vibrant art scenes of Guangzhou and Shanghai. Alongside Lin Fengmian and Guan Liang, he is regarded as one of the “Three Masters of Guangdong” and is often referred to as the “Eastern Matisse” and the “Modern Bada Shanren.”
Ting’s practice seamlessly integrates Eastern and Western traditions while bridging classical and modern sensibilities. Working across both oil painting and ink, he drew inspiration from ancient masters such as Bada Shanren and Shitao, developing a highly distilled and expressive visual language. His subjects encompass figures, flowers, birds, and landscapes. In his later years, he developed his distinctive “one-stroke painting” style, incorporating the structural sensibility of seal carving into pictorial expression.
After relocating to Hong Kong in 1949, Ting played a foundational role in the region's art education, notably through the establishment of the Fine Arts Department of New Asia College (now part of the Chinese University of Hong Kong). His contribution to the evolution of modern Chinese art remains profound and far-reaching, marking him as a true pioneer of the 20th-century avant-garde practice.
Exhibitions and Awards
Selected Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2022
The Art of Ting Yin-Yung: University Museum and Art Gallery —The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2003
The Beauty of Imagery: Painting Art of Ting Yin-Yung —National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
1979
Ting Yin-Yung Retrospective Exhibition —Pao Sui Loong Galleries, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
1977
Lung Men Art Gallery—Taipei, Taiwan
Professor Ting Yin-Yung’s Third Exhibition —East & West Art Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
1975
Professor Ting Yin-Yung’s First Exhibition —East & West Art Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
1973
Hong Kong City Hall—Hong Kong
Recent Works of Professor Ting Yin-Yung —Pok Art House, Hong Kong
Exhibition of Ting Yin-Yung's Works —Sorbonne University, Paris, France
1970
McLaughlin Library—University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
1963
Appreciation of Professor Ting Yin-Yung’s Recent Works —Princess Alexandra Community Centre / China Cultural Association, Hong Kong
1957
Recent Oil Paintings of Ting Yin-Yung —Gloucester Building, Hong Kong
1927
Chien-Te Savings Society—Shanghai, China
Group Exhibitions
2008
New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond —Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
1978
Flower Paintings by Famous Chinese Artists Past and Present —International Gallery, Hong Kong
18th Japanese Nanga and Sumie Art Exhibition : Touring Exhibition—Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum / Kyoto City Museum of Art / Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Japan
1977
Eight Artists’ Chinese Painting Exhibition —Bank of America, Hong Kong
17th Japanese Nanga and Sumie Art Exhibition : Touring Exhibition—Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum / Kyoto City Museum of Art / Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Japan
1976
16th Japanese Nanga and Sumie Art Exhibition : Touring Exhibition—Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum / Kyoto City Museum of Art / Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Japan
6th Exhibition of the Year of the Dragon —East & West Art Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
1975
15th Japanese Nanga and Sumie Art Exhibition : Touring Exhibition—Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum / Kyoto City Museum of Art / Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Japan
1974
14th Japanese Nanga and Sumie Art Exhibition : Touring Exhibition—Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum / Kyoto City Museum of Art / Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, Japan
Exhibition of Modern Chinese Painters in Traditional Style —Melbourne, Australia
Contemporary Chinese Calligraphy and Painting : Touring Exhibition—USA
1970
1st Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition of the Republic of China —National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
1967
Modern Hong Kong Ink Painting Exhibition —War Memorial Art Gallery, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
1959 – 1961
Free China Art Exhibition : Touring Exhibition—Hong Kong / Rome / Paris / New York
1958
4th Free China Art Exhibition —Taiwan Shin Sheng Daily News Building, Taipei, Taiwan
1957 – 1958
Southeast Asia Touring Exhibition of Hong Kong Chinese Artists —Kuala Lumpur / Jakarta / Bangkok / Singapore
1957
Animal Painting Exhibition —National Museum of History (Exhibited in Paris), France
4th National Fine Arts Exhibition of the Ministry of Education —National Taiwan Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
3rd Free China Art Exhibition —Taiwan Shin Sheng Daily News Building, Taipei, Taiwan
1946
Exhibition of Contemporary Chinese Painting —Musée Cernuschi, Paris, France
1945
Modern Painting Joint Exhibition —Sino-Soviet Cultural Association, Chongqing, China
1943
Exhibition of Zou Haibin, Ting Yin-Yung, Chen Shuren, Guan Liang, and Li Ping —Sichuan Art Association, Chengdu, China
1941
Modern Painting Exhibition —Daxin Art Gallery, Shanghai, China
1940
Shanghai Western Painters Joint Exhibition —Daxin Art Gallery, Shanghai, China
1935
China Independent Art Association Sketches Exhibition —Popular Gallery, Guangzhou, China
1st China Independent Art Exhibition —Guangdong Provincial Mass Education Center, Guangzhou, China
1930
China-Japan Trio Painting Joint Exhibition —Qunyinghui, Guangzhou, China
1929
1st National Fine Arts Exhibition of the Ministry of Education —Xin Puyutang, Shanghai, China
Historical Customs and Art Exhibition II —Guangzhou Municipal Museum, Guangzhou, China
1928
1st Exhibition of Shanghai Art Association —Shanghai, China
1927
Joint Art Exhibition —Chien-Te Savings Society, Shanghai, China
1926
Exhibition for the Founding of China Art University —Chien-Te Savings Society, Shanghai, China
1924
Still Life on Table : 5th Chuo Bijutsu-sha Exhibition—Takenodai Display Hall, Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan
Collections
Museums and Institutional Collections
- Après la pluie —Musée Cernuschi, Paris, France
- National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMOFA)—Taichung, Taiwan