A maverick among peers

Following her return to China, Hoo's works became bolder, brighter and physically larger. Her nudes from the era reflect a new dynamism somewhat reminiscent of Cezanne, while the Plant Series documents the bucolic garden of her Shanghai home — the artist's first time depicting a Chinese scene on canvas.

Ultimately, it's the honesty of Hoo's everyday scenes that makes them so powerful, and sets her apart from peers like Pan and Lalan. "Hoo is actually the one that went over and above cultural differences," Wang says, going so far as to compare the artist with Impressionist legends Van Gogh (1853-90) and Renoir (1841-1919) — "the masters devoted to the object itself, the landscape itself, to life itself". "Like them, Hoo is just naturally pouring herself into her art.

"You can feel that same spiritual power in her work."

If you go

Objects of Play: Hoo Mojong Centennial Retrospective

Dates: Through Aug 17

Venue: Chantal Miller Gallery, Asia Society Hong Kong Center, 9 Justice Drive, Admiralty

https://asiasociety.org/hong-kong/exhibitions