International architecture firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) recently presented a selection of Chairman and Founder A. Eugene Kohn’s watercolours in Hong Kong this fall. The artists’ proceeds from the works sold were donated to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cancer Research at the University of Michigan. The proceeds from a silent auction of several noteworthy pieces during the opening reception on October 3rd will also be donated to the Hong Kong Cancer Fund (HKCF). More images and a brief description of the exhibition after the break.
Mr. Kohn’s fascination with painting began when he was a young boy sitting by his mother’s side while she painted. Hannah Kohn was an accomplished painter in her own right and had a show at the Guggenheim Museum on the occasion of her 100th birthday. Mr. Kohn works primarily in watercolour with a range of subjects – cityscapes, landscapes, still life and abstract. Much of his work is done when he travels in foreign countries, and he normally gives work as gifts or donates them to clarify auctions. His work has previously been displayed at the Guggenheim Museum in a show for the works of well-known architects, as well other similar shows, and is exhibited at Belgravia Gallery in London. According to Mr. Kohn, “It’s not about being an artist – painting is something that I enjoy and do purely for the joy of it. I paint to relax and to express strong feelings about certain subjects. A building can take five to ten years to complete, while a watercolour only takes a few hours.”
Belgravia Gallery ‘s Anna Hunter adds, “Although small in scale, some convey vast buildings and cityscapes, others suggest a bird’s eye view of fast moving city life, yet others convey the artists love of fresh landscape and countryside. We can return to his work again and again and always find more by which to be surprised and enchanted.”
Hong Kong was chosen as the venue for this show, as the city and region is very important to the firm. KPF was one of the first US architecture firms to start working in China, and has had such a strong presence there for over 20 years. With offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong, the firm offers arguably more experience and a deeper perspective than any other global practice. Today KPF boasts a number of notable projects in China, including the Shanghai World Financial Center and Plaza 66, as well as The Landmark Mandarin Oriental and the International Commerce Centre (housing the world’s tallest hotel, The Ritz-Carlton), both in Hong Kong.
