Tang Hung

1926 - 2018

Tang Hung

Mar 29, 1926 - Feb 27, 2018

Professor Tang Hung died on February 27, 2018, at 91 years and marks an end of a dynasty in his artistry and vision of Gongbi Flower and Bird Painting. Tang Hung also served 35 years with the U.S. Department of State in the Foreign Service from 1955 to 1990. Ever devoted, Tang Hung lived life for family, work, and art. He will be missed by children Chen, Tang, and Cheng. He is survived by grandchildren Jia Yin, An Mei, Lisa, Ricky, Erica, Gibson, Sophia, and great-grandchildren En Tong, Hope, and Oliver. Tang Hung was preceded in death by parents, Tang Hao Lan and Ye Qian Ru, as well as, children Tung and Dina. Professor Tang will be missed by many friends, extended family, and students.
Professor Tang, a descendant of a noted Peking family, was a graduate of the Peking Academy of Art and the National Peking Art College. In 1949, he moved to the Republic of China where he could continue his education and artistry, unabated by the political transformation happening in mainland China. ROC is where Tang Hung met his new mentor and master artist Chang Dai-chien. From this harmonious and often tumultuous union between teacher and student, Mr. Tang painstakingly developed a unique style from all his former lessons: a transitive technique of controlled and free-flowing expression through vivid brush strokes and multi-dimensional composition adopted from East and West Old Masters blended with contemporary methods and techniques. Mr.Tang's time in ROC was both transformative and prolific.
When he moved to Hong Kong, in 1961, Professor Tang began exhibiting art around the world and teaching his own students. After touring North America, Tang Hung's skills elevated again. He excelled his contemporaries in Gongbi style and became a great master. Professor Tang's teachings and work are characterized by delicate touches in portraying images with the steady power of the inner wrist, and most visible in daring, vivid brush strokes, akin to Western Post-Impressionism. Professor Tang's works have been exhibited and collected at museums in Hong Kong, Japan, ROC, Europe, and the United States. For over thirty years, he has promulgated his artform to students and institutes of higher education from many countries. Professor Tang passed on his skills over the years to his more than 1000 students in private studio classes, as well as, lecturer at the Fine Art Department of the Chinese University in Hong Kong.
The family thanks all who helped Tang Hung in his later years. A private ceremony will be held Sunday March 4, 2018, in Colma, California. In lieu of flowers please donate to cancer research.