Irene Chou's latest exhibition, Life Is a Many Splendoured Thing, not only offers a long-awaited glimpse of her most recent works, it also reflects the 83-year-old artist's wisdom and insight into life.
'Being this old now, I've experienced many things: sadness, happiness, love, hatred and so much more - all of which we can't avoid,' says the ink painter who's also known as Zhou Luyun.
Her life in recent years has been tough. Chou, an innovator in Chinese ink painting, is widowed, uses a wheelchair and lives alone in Brisbane, a city she has called home for the past 15 years.
Yet she remains positive. 'I've seen enough of life to make me realise that, with all I've gone through - good and bad, delightful and depressing - life is a truly splendoured thing.'
The exhibition features 53 of Chou's latest ink paintings, created during the past 18 months. She's known for her cosmic themes, articulated with expressive brush strokes. However, her latest works are different.
'They're about life and joy,' Chou says of the paintings, which are characterised by dynamic brushwork and bright, contrasting colours. 'They're about the portrayals of life's many beautiful and splendid elements and moments - thus, they're more colourful compared with my previous artworks. 'Sometimes, my old works look gloomy and not so open. My new works have a lighter and carefree feel. They show that life is happier now.'
Shanghai-born Chou, who spent most of her life in Hong Kong, suffered a stroke in late 1991. After intensive physiotherapy, she plunged right back into her painting.
