Pioneering Paulines

Lau Kwan Yam studied at St. Paul’s during 1922 and then continued his education in the United States. Lau was a painter, Chinese calligrapher, and educator; he co-founded Chi Yin Girls’ College in 1925 with his wife and founded the International Art School (萬國藝專) in 1936, all now defunct. He served as principal of the art school until his death.

Lau was proficient across genres, including both Chinese and Western paintings and Chinese calligraphy, with a particular talent for drawing crustaceans. He devoted his life to advancing the Chinese cause: Chi Yin was active in the ‘national salvation’ movement across the 1930s; in 1936, he raised funds for aiding victims of war in northern China and had also produced pro-Chinese art at the time, in the hopes of rousing national consciousness. In 1940, he founded the Chinese Art Association in Hong Kong (now defunct), and his work had been featured in exhibitions both national and international.

劉君任，名樹聲，生於一九〇〇年，在一九二二年曾就讀聖保羅書院，後赴美國深造，爲畫家及敎育家，返港後偕妻創辦志賢女子中學（今已倒閉），在一九三六年創立萬國美術專科學院（今已倒閉），至身故時出任校長。

劉氏兼擅國畫、書法及西洋畫，尤擅繪蝦蟹，透過畫筆及敎育工作，竭盡一生推廣國粹。抗戰爆發時，志賢女子中學活躍於救亡運動，在一九三六年曾辦畫展籌款，爲華北災民賑濟，又製作宣傳救國之油畫。劉氏一生於國內外參與多個畫展，在一九四〇年創中國藝術協會擔任會長，今已解散。