Chou, Irene

BIOGRAPHY
1924    Born in Shanghai, China
1941-45    BA in Economics, St. John’s University, Shanghai, China
1946-47    Reporter for the Peace Daily, Shanghai, China
1947    Translated The World of Tomorrow by Burr W. Leyson, published by the Commercial Press, Shanghai, China
1949    Moved to Hong Kong
1976-84    Taught lithography and ink painting at the Extra Mural Studies, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
1992    Moved to Brisbane, Australia
2011    Passed away

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019  

• A World Within: The Art and Inspiration of Irene Chou, Asia Society Hong Kong Centre, Hong Kong

• Universe of the Mind: Irene Chou a Retrospective Exhibition, University Museum and Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

• Multicultural Community Centre, Brisbane, Australia

• The Universe is My Heart, My Heart is the Universe, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong

• Rotunda, Exchange Square, Hong Kong

• Hong Kong Bank Building, Brisbane, Australia

• Philip Bacon Galleries, Brisbane, Australia
• Queensland Performing Art Complex, Brisbane, Australia

• Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan

• Godfrey Far East Art, London, UK

• Museum Luis de Camões, Macau

• Chinese Painting by Irene Chou, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

• Charlotte Horstmann and Gerald Godfrey, Hong Kong

• National Art Gallery, Manila, Philippines

• Raya Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

• United States Cultural Centre, Hong Kong

• Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025-2026

• Metamorphosis: Chinese Imagination and Transformation, China Institute Gallery, New York, USA (until Jan 11, 2026)
• Engaging Past Wisdom: Min Chiu Society at Sixty-five, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong (until Jan 14, 2026)

2025

• Line, Form, Qi: Calligraphic Art from the Foundation INK Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA
• Picasso for Asia: A Conversation, M+, Hong Kong
• Tradition Transformed, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

2024-2025

• Reforming Abstraction: Cheung Lee and Contemporaries from Hong Kong and Taiwan in the Late 20^th Century, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University, Oxford, UK (until 7 Sept)
• Guo Pei: Fashioning Imagination, M+, Hong Kong

• Landscape In Motion, Fine Art Asia, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
• ART SG 2024, Alisan Fine Arts, Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

2023

• Ink Asia, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong

• Modern Masters from Hong Kong, Alisan Fine Arts, Cromwell Place, London, UK

• Summoning Memories: Art Beyond Chinese Traditions, Asia Society Texas, Houston, USA

2021-2022

• Hong Kong: Here and Beyond, Main Hall Gallery, M+, Hong Kong

• Individuals, Networks, Expressions, South Galleries, M+, Hong Kong

2021

• Ink Dreams: Selections from the Fondation INK Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA

2020

• Uniquely Hong Kong: A Celebration of Hong Kong Art, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

2019

• Hong Kong Experience • Hong Kong Experiment, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

2018

• HOPE A charity exhibition celebrating the works of outstanding contemporary Chinese women artists, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

• Being and Inking: Documenting Contemporary Ink Art 2001-2016, Redtory Museum of Contemporary Art, Guangzhou, China

• A Legacy of Ink: Lui Shou-Kwan 40 Years On, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

2010

• Legacy & Creations: Ink Art vs Ink Art, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China

• Hong Kong Art: Open Dialogue Exhibition Series II – New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond, curated by Alice King, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

• Contemporary Hong Kong Ink Painting Exhibition, Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong

• Chinese Paintings from the Khoan and Michael Sullivan Collection, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
• Artists in the Neighbourhood Scheme II Launching Exhibition, Hong Kong Central Library, Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Cityscapes: Ink Painting in Transition, Hong Kong Festival, London, UK

• In Celebration of Art: Hong Kong Arts Centre 25th Anniversary Exhibition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong

• Lui Shou-Kwan (1919-1975) and His School, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
• Lingo: Getting the Picture, Brisbane City Hall, Brisbane, Australia

• Inaugural Exhibition of the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia

• Chinese Art 1992, Godfrey Far East Art, London, UK

1989 

• Exhibitions of 19th and 20th Century and Modern Chinese Paintings, Sotheby’s Hong Kong and Christie’s Swire, Hong Kong (to 1993)

1988 

• 22nd International Contemporary Art, Monte Carlo, Monaco

• Reality & Infinity: Joint Exhibition of Irene Chaou and Koo Mei, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong

1985 

• Shui Mo: The New Spirit of Chinese Tradition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong

1984 

• Academy Award Winner’s Exhibition, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

1983 

• Art 1983, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
• Contemporary Art of the Eighties, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
• Women Artists’ Show, Hong Kong Women’s Art Council, Hong Kong

1982 

• Contemporary Art from Hong Kong, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Manila, Philippines 
• Contemporary Vision of Landscape, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

1981 

• Art 1981, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
• Contemporary Art by Chinese Intellectuals, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong
• Japan International Artists Society Inaugural Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan

• Hong Kong Art, Yolanda Gallery, Chicago, USA

• One Art Group Exhibition, National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan 

• Hong Kong Arts Centre Inaugural Exhibition, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
• Women Artists, Hong Kong City Hall, Hong Kong

• Art 1976, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

• Cleveland International Drawing Biennial, London, UK
• Five Artists Exhibition, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan
• Hong Kong Artists 1975, Saint John’s Hall, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Painters, Luz Gallery, Manila, Philippines

• 1st Exhibition of Contemporary Hong Kong Art, Hong Kong Art Festival, Hong Kong

• Chinese Ink Painting, Fung Ping Shan Museum, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
• Contemporary Hong Kong Art Exhibition, City Hall Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong
• Five Contemporary Chinese Artists, Mavis Chapman Gallery, Sydney, Australia

• Art Now Hong Kong, Evansville Museum, Indiana, USA

• Art Now Hong Kong, Hong Kong City Museum & Art Gallery, Hong Kong; Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery, London; Commonwealth Institute Art Gallery, Edinburgh; City Art Gallery, Bristol; City Art Gallery, Manchester, UK
• Contemporary Chinese Ink Painters, Lee Nordness Gallery, New York, USA

• 202nd Exhibition of Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK

• 201st Exhibition of Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK
• Contemporary Hong Kong Art, City Hall Museum and Art Gallery, Hong Kong

SELECTED AWARDS
1972    Pacific Culture Asia Museum Fine Art Award, California, USA
1983    Urban Council Fine Arts Award (Chinese Painting), Hong Kong
1988    The Artist of the Year Award, Hong Kong

SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, Canada
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA
British Museum, London, UK
Museum for East-Asian Arts, Cologne, Germany
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia
Raya Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
National Art Gallery, Manila, Philippines
National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong
University Museum & Art Gallery, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
M+, Hong Kong