Tasting Tea in the Summer

NIE OU (B. 1948)
Tasting Tea in the Summer
Scroll, mounted and framed, ink and colour on paper
33.5 x 34 cm. (13 ¹⁄₄ x 13 ³⁄₈ in.)
Entitled, inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist
Dedicated to Luo Guixiang (Dr. K S Lo)

Born in Mei County, San Xiang Village, Dr. Lo graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1934. On an occasion in Shanghai for business in 1936, he attended a talk entitled Soya Bean: The Cow of China, which inspired him to produce a nutritious family drink that was affordable to the general public. This gave birth to Vitasoy, a household brand in Hong Kong and Asia.

Dr. Lo was not just a successful businessman. His collection of Chinese paintings and his dedication to the promotion of arts, culture and education are seen all over Hong Kong. Over the years, Dr. Lo assembled an outstanding and memorable collection of classical and modern ink paintings that is extraordinary in terms of both quality and quantity. He is also very supportive of contemporary artists in China and Hong Kong, who created an eclectic mix of works that we now know as new ink or contemporary ink paintings. Such a pioneering vision led to a comprehensive and fascinating fusion of the old and the new.