ZHU QIZHAN (1892-1996)
Ink Bamboo
Hanging scroll, ink on paper
88.6 x 47.9 cm. (34 ⁷⁄₈ x 18 ⁷⁄₈ in.)
Inscribed and signed, with two seals of the artist
Dated autumn, wuchen year (1988)

The celebrated Canton Collection belonged to Hong Kong collector and architect Ronald Poon (1942–2022). Trained at the Architectural Association in London, Poon founded his architectural firm in 1973 and dedicated his career to architecture and public service. He served as President of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, Chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Society, and as a four-term Member of the CPPCC.

Poon came from a distinguished Guangzhou family of merchants and art collectors who settled in the city in the late 18th century. His ancestor Pan Zhengwei founded the Ting Fan Lou Collection, one of southern China’s most important Qing dynasty painting collections. Inheriting part of this legacy, Poon grew up surrounded by art and culture. As an active member and former chairman of the Min Chiu Society, he also helped organise major exhibitions of Chinese paintings in Hong Kong and abroad.

Poon renamed his family collection Xiao Ting Fan Lou, or the Canton Collection, and expanded it with contemporary Chinese paintings by leading 20th century artists he knew personally, including Zhu Qizhan, Huang Zhou, Liu Haisu, and Huang Yongyu. These works reflect his modern aesthetic and create a dynamic dialogue with his classical masterpieces.