Chu Teh Chun

Born in China in 1920 and deceased in Paris in 2014, Chu Teh-Chun is a Franco-Chinese artist. At the age of 15, he was admitted to the Hangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, where he discovered modern Western painting and learned its techniques. Fascinated by traditional Chinese painting, he painted watercolors outside the classroom. He pioneered the integration of traditional Chinese painting techniques into Western art. The artist turned to abstract painting, responding to his need for freedom of expression. Befriending artists Zao Wou-ki and Wu Guanzhong, they became known as "the three musketeers of modern Chinese art" and had a major influence on the art world. After his first monographic exhibition in 1954 in Taipei, Chu Teh-Chun participated in numerous exhibitions throughout his career: Galerie Legendre (Paris, 1960), 10th Sao Paulo Biennial (Brazil, 1979), Musée d'Art Moderne (Liège, 1988), Shanghai Museum (China, 2000), Musée Guimet (Paris, 2009) and Musée d'Art Contemporain de Macao (China, 2010).