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Lew Yung-Chien

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Lew Yung-Chien
Born
劉榮黔

1938 (age 85–86)
Shanghai, China
NationalityCanadian Chinese (dual)
Known forPhotographer
AwardsArts Society of China 2011 Award (Taiwan)
ElectedRoyal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA)

Lew Yung-Chien RCA (1938) is a Chinese-born Canadian photographer, artist, and author. Known for his painterly nature photographs, Lew is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA).[1] A published author, he wrote and photo-illustrated L’esprit du taï-chi and received the Arts Society of China 2011 Award (Taiwan) for his illustrated book 60 Chinese Cookies.[1] He has lectured and exhibited in Quebec, California, and China.

Life and career

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Lew Yung-Chien (Yung-Chien Lew) was born in Shanghai, China, in 1938. As a youth, Lew studied traditional Chinese calligraphy and dry brush painting,[2] before attending the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the National Taiwan Normal University. While in Taipei he also studied tai chi under master Cheng Man-ch'ing and incorporated the discipline into his work and life. He graduated from university in 1961 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree,[3] and, from 1963 to 1967, studied graphic design at the École supérieure des arts modernes in Paris.[1] He then moved to Montreal where he worked as a graphic designer under Claude LeSauteur at Cabana Séguin Inc.[4] In 1975 Lew co-founded the studio Communication et Design Hablutzel & Yung Inc. with Peter Hablutzel,[5] and was the firm's president and sole proprietor by 1979. Known for creating logo designs for Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE), Noverco, and SNC-Lavalin, he was interviewed for the design magazine G in 1989.[5] Throughout his corporate career, Lew painted as well as practised calligraphy and pottery.

In 1995 Lew began to focus on photography, intercultural communication, and tai chi. A frequent traveler to Taiwan and China as well as California, Lew photographed landscapes and abstract patterns within nature. A practitioner of tai chi, he continued to study the discipline in Beijing.[3] A cross-cultural adviser to corporations and governments, Lew also guest lectured at leadership workshops at McGill University's School of Management, where he introduced tai chi as a means to improve self-knowledge, design, and problem-solving skills.[2] He also taught tai chi at McGill's Institute for the Public Life of Arts and Ideas,[6] and at the university's Faculty of Medecine.[7] Lew also combined photography with tai chi philosophy and practice in the book L’esprit du taï-chi, published in 2009.[8] He also taught the course Tai Chi and the Brush at the Visual Art Centre in Westmount (Montreal).[9] In 2011 Lew's book of drawings, calligraphy, and philosophical sayings 60 Chinese Cookies was published in Montreal.[10] Awarded the Arts Society of China 2011 Award (Taiwan),[1] the book was published in New York as 60 Fortune Cookies in 2014.[11]

In recognition of his work, Lew was selected artist-in-residence at the Banff Centre of the Arts and exhibited there in 2001.[12] A solo exhibition of his photographs and paintings was also held at the City of Westmount's Gallery at Victoria Hall in 2006.[13] Since then he has exhibited at Silicon Valley Asian Art Center (Santa Clara CA),[14] and at Qinzheart Gallery in Hangzhou China.[15] In recent years Lew developed a photographic theory called "Swiftism" advocating spontaneity with the use of a camera like a brush. Recognized for his photography, Lew was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA),[16] and participated in the association's new-members' exhibition at gallery Beaux-arts des Amériques (Montreal) in 2015.[17]

Books

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L’esprit du taï-chi

In 2009 Lew's book on photography and tai chi L’esprit du taï-chi: sentir que les poissons sont contents was published.[8] Written in collaboration with journalist Michel P. Dufour, the book was described in the Bibliothèques de Montréal's recommendation list as: "the text is accompanied by photography, calligraphy, and illustrations which inspires calm, contemplation and wonder... to enhance health and harmony between body and spirit."[18] The book was reviewed in the literary magazine Nuit Blanche as "a superb introduction to Tai Chi".[19]

60 Chinese Cookies

60 Biscuits Chinois / 60 Chinese Cookies is described as "60 simple observations or insights, each illustrated with one of his drawings... with the author’s thoughts expressed in English, French and through Chinese calligraphy."[20] Reviewed in The Gazette (Montreal), Monique Polak wrote: "Lew reminds us of things we already knew, but need to remember ("A careless word is like a careless match") and asks questions ("What is most precious to you?") that will linger in our minds long after we’ve put his book away."[21]

Glimmerings of Eternity

Lew's book of photographs taken throughout the world, Éclats d’éternité / Glimmerings of Eternity, was published in 2017. Accompanied by 50 inspirational thoughts presented in English, French, and Chinese, the book is described as both a humorous and philosophic exploration of life's meaning.[22] Published in 2017, Nuit Blanche reviewer Jean-Paul Beaumier, wrote that at times Lew's photographs "translate what is concealed from view or invite viewers to lose themselves within their beauty."[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "2015 New Academicians - Yung-Chien Lew." 135th President's Dinner, Royal Academy of the Arts. 2015. 27. Print.
  2. ^ a b Adler, Nancy J. "Guest: Mr Lew Yung-Chien, CEO, artist, and Tai Chi gold medalist." The Art of Leadership: Course Outline McGill University. 2004. 27. Print. Web.
  3. ^ a b "Teacher Biographies - Yung-Chien Lew." Visual Arts Centre. Web. Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Blanchette, Josée. "Le chef et le philosophe." Le Devoir. 27 Nov 2009. Print. Web.
  5. ^ a b Houde, Louise-Marie. "Hablutzel & Yung: Rigoureux, discrets et... tres corporatifs." G: le magazine de la communication graphic. Montreal. Feb/Mar 1989. 22. Print.
  6. ^ "The Enchanted Island at the 2013 ILA Conference - Lew Yung-Chien." McGill University. Web.[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ Ware, Mark. "Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in clinical practice: Course Outline". Faculty of Medecine, McGill University. Print.
  8. ^ a b "Lew Yung-Chien." Les Éditions de l'Homme. Web.
  9. ^ "Creative Explorations - Yung-Chien Lew." Visual Arts Centre. Web. Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "60-biscuits-chinois." Abe Books. Web.
  11. ^ "60 Fortune Cookies." Abe Books. Web.
  12. ^ Harzing, Anne-Wil and Van Ruysseveldt, Joris. International Human Resource Management. Cromwell Press: Wiltshire UK. Print. 2. 2004. Web.
  13. ^ McLeod, Dorothy. "Art and Life of Lew Yung-Chien." Westmount Times. 6 May 2006. Print.
  14. ^ "Ten Years of Art Venture in Silicon Valley." Silicon Valley Asian Art Center. Web.
  15. ^ "Exhibitions." Quizheart Gallery. May 2015. Web.
  16. ^ ""New Members 2015." Royal Canadian Academy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-31. Retrieved 2015-12-30.
  17. ^ "Royal Canadian Academy of Arts exhibition – Recent inductees." Beaux-arts des Amériques. Web. Archived 2015-06-22 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Les Irrésistibles » L’esprit du taï-chi" Bibliothèques de Montréal. Web.
  19. ^ Beauchamps, Manouane. "Lew Yung-Chien : L’esprit du taï-chi." Nuit Blanche. 2009. Web.
  20. ^ "60 Biscuits Chinois / 60 Chinese Cookies." Goodreads. Web.
  21. ^ Polak, Monique. "Lew Yung-Chien brings new life to fortune cookies in his book, 60 Chinese Cookies." The Gazette (Montreal) 24 Nov 2011. Web.
  22. ^ "Glimmerings of Eternity." Les editions du passage. Web.
  23. ^ Beaumier, Jean-Paul. "Lew Yung-Chien : Éclats d’éternité / Glimmerings of Eternity." Nuit Blanche. 2017. Web.
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  • Photo Gallery Web.
  • "Trees of Life." Documentary on Lew Yung-Chien by Esther Viragh. Radio Canada International. 2007. [vision.rcinet.ca/video/57O16OGY3OAW/Trees-of-Life/2 Video.]
  • "L'esprit du tai-chi." Interview of Lew Yung-Chien et Jean-Pierre Charbonneau by Louis Lemieux. Radio Canada. 11 Oct 2009. Video.
  • Blanchette, Josée. "Le chef et le philosophe." Le Devoir. 27 Nov 2009. Print. Web.
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