The Hong Kong University Museum and Art Gallery is opening on May 25 a restrospective of the work of Xie Jinglan (1921–1995), better known as Lalan.
Lalan was born in China and studied music at the Hangzhou College of Art and the Shanghai College of Music. In 1941, she married the artist Zao Wou-ki and the couple moved to France in 1948. Once there, she continued her studies, initially in composition at the National Conservatoire, then modern dance at the American Art Centre in Paris. She and Zao divorced in 1957 by which time Lalan had begun to experiment with abstract painting.
Her artistic career was a rich and multi-faceted one. Having lived in France for almost fifty years, her artworks reflect the dual influences of both China and France. The retrospective exhibition presents Lalan’s works from the 1960s to the 1990s.