A Love Affair with Chinese Art

Tseng Yuho

Few people have done more than Tseng Yuho to advance our understanding, awareness, and appreciation of Chinese art. As an artist, collector, scholar, and educator, she has contributed in many ways and reached numerous audiences during her lengthy career. A listing of her interests and accomplishments would be enormous in its scope and depth, but incomplete at this point, as she remains active and committed to leaving a legacy of knowledge and cultural awareness.

During this Curator’s Circle Conversation, Tseng traced the development of her multifaceted career. She was born to a highly educated family and spent her childhood and early adult years in the rich cultural milieu of Beijing. There she had the opportunity to study with some of the great artists of the time. Her marriage to art historian Gustav Ecke, extensive travel, and the attainment of advanced degrees in art intensified her interest in the art of her homeland.

Chinese folk art has been of particular interest to Tseng, and in the 1970s she helped organize the first exhibits of this type of art in the United States. She believes that folk artists have an instinct for creating textures and forms that bring out the inherent beauty of their materials, and she looks forward to sharing her knowledge of Chinese folk art in an upcoming book on the subject.

Through her own life experience, Tseng has illustrated how scholars and private collectors can contribute to art preservation. Tseng and her husband, both university educators and scholars, served as consultants to the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Over the years, they helped to strengthen the Academy’s collection of Chinese art by advising curators on appropriate acquisitions. As part of the collecting community, the couple was instrumental in securing donations from private sources for the museum. Parts of their own collection of Chinese paintings, ceramics, furniture, and art objects have been designated for certain public institutions so that members of the general public may enjoy them in the future.

Tseng’s current passion is the creation of a tea lodge at the Lytton Arboretum on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. This project unites many of her interests – Chinese art and culture, interdisciplinary studies, and public education. She envisions a place where scholars, artists, and connoisseurs can meet and exchange ideas and where the general public can be introduced to many aspects of Chinese culture, including its art traditions and health practices. She feels that all visitors will enjoy and benefit from the beauty and tranquility of a natural setting.

During the workshop, Tseng focused on her life as an artist by describing major influences on her painting and calligraphy. Chinese classical artists Pu Quan and Qi Gong provided valuable training and guidance in the development of her artistic skills. Early inspirations for her art included the volcanic landscapes of Hawaii and Chinese art-mounting techniques. As her artistic capabilities grew, she began to exhibit widely, with important shows in New York and Paris. In these art capitals of the world, she was exposed to new concepts and trends through her interactions with emerging artists, collectors, and dealers. These experiences made a lasting impression on her and provided ideas and inspiration for her art for many years.

Line and form have always been of primary interest to Tseng; color is merely supportive. This was evident from her presentation of selected artwork created during different periods of her life. For example, in the 1980s, her art reflected a fascination with layers of horizontal and vertical planes, which she described as having “depth” and “vibration.” Creative possibilities still excite her; to this day, she enjoys experimenting with new forms and compositions to communicate different emotions.

Tseng Yuho’s long and productive career has been sustained by an insatiable curiosity, a prodigious capacity for work, and a remarkable talent for incorporating diverse elements in her art. Though close to 80 years of age, she possesses an astonishing level of energy. Another calligraphy show is scheduled, her book on Chinese folk art is in its conceptual stage, and the tea lodge is her fervent aspiration. No member of Tseng’s Curator’s Circle audience doubts that these plans and dreams will become reality.

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