Hong Kong artist TO Jiwye (b.1956 ) graduated from the Grantham College of education in Hong Kong in 1979 and received his BA from the Hong Kong Buddhist College. TO continued his studies in art and philosophy at the Buddhist College from 1986 to 1989. The ideas of Zen, Phenomenology and Taoism has since influenced his life philosophy and become important elements of his art.
From 1984 to 1988, he published the arts criticism magazine “Melting Pot Journal” to promote art criticism in Hong Kong.
In 1988, he participated the China contemporary art movement and promoting the concept of “Art China”, with a view to forging open a new way to develop contemporary Chinese art.
In 1989 he founded an art group called the Art Action which teamed up with artists from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the USA to promote contemporary Chinese art.
In 1995, he organized a conference in Hong Kong to discuss the idea of “Art China” and the development of contemporary Chinese art in the 21st century. Scholars of mainland China , Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia and Canada were invited to address the issue in the conference.
Emptiness is the concept of TO’s art. The paintings of TO show a huge hazy of emptiness. That is an active space for spectator to experience unlimited emptiness. The paintings demonstrate a remote deserted without human being, but misty clouds flow among the hills and waterfalls. The perspective points to deep far off, a silence atmosphere. Such provide a time to hatch up artistic conception and openness, to let go ourselves. Far away from the human world and fly into an unlimited cosmos. The thinking like birds in the sky. Transcends from simplicity to a state of being void , aesthetic feeling and harmonious experience.
TO has participated in numerous local and overseas exhibition in museum, gallery and art fairs. His works are being collected by private collectors, corporations, and museums: Shanghai Art Museum, Hong Kong Alliance of Franciase, Macau Urban Council Gallery, The University of Sydney, The University of British Columbia, Canada, The Chinese Cultural Center of Vancouver.