曲一舟
I-Chao Chu
曲一舟
I-Chao Chu
Biography
I-Chao Chu was born in Shandong Province (hometown: Chemenkuang ,车門夼) China in 1911. He studied at the Beijing Art Institute and lived variously in Northern China and Taiwan before moving to New Jersey (US) in 1972. His watercolors and calligraphy often portray beautiful scenes of nature, mountains and streams, although he also painted more abstract works.
I-Chao Chu's life overlapped with several periods of political and social upheaval. The Republic of China was declared in 1912 just a year after his birth, and next decade was marked by fractious time known as the "Warlord Era." In 1927, China would enter a civil war punctuated by the second Sino Japanese war (1937-1945) which comprised the Chinese theater of World War II. The Chinese civil war effectively ended in 1949 with the Chinese Communist party taking control of the country, and the Kuomintang (KMT) government and many of its supporters retreating to Taiwan. These political upheavals led to changes in fortune and several moves. I-Chao Chu had to adapt to support his growing family, including working as a teacher in an army academy and working as a chief printer in a printing house, before moving to Taiwan in 1949 and to the US in 1972. In the US, he taught at Seton Hall University and had several solo exhibitions of his watercolors and calligraphy.
I-Chao Chu was married to a fellow fine artist, Jen Yuan Chu and together they had three children, all of whom eventually moved to the US via Taiwan. He passed away in 1987.
This page is maintained by immediate family members of I-Chao Chu and is based on artists' biographies circulated during his lifetime, interviews with immediate family members, and newspaper articles and exhibition catalogs published during his lifetime.
Chinese Paintings Exhibition at the Central Park, Peking (Beijing), China May 1934. Prize of Honor.
Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy Exhibition of Ningxia Province, China July 1935. First Prize.
Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy Exhibition of Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, China Sept. 1938. First Prize.
Chinese Paintings Exhibition of Kaohsiung City, Taiwan October 1966. First Prize.
Princeton Art Association's Fifth Annual Watercolor Exhibition, NJ. 1973. First Prize.
Hudson Artists, Inc. 20th Annual Exhibition, 1974. First Prize, Watercolor.
West New York Art Show, NJ, 1974. First Prize.
Junior Woman's Club of Wyckhoff Art Show, 1974. First Prize.
WSOAE (Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, NY) 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1978. Honorable Mention.
Holy Family Church, NJ. 1975, 1977, 1978. First Prize.
Ocean Gate Art Exhibition NJ. 1976. Best in Show.
Danbury State Art Exhibition, Connecticut, 1978. Best in Show.
Museum of Ningxia Province, China, 1936.
Museum of Lanzhou City, China, 1940.
China Institute, New York City, 1972.
Gouda Municipal Museum, Netherlands, 1973.
President Gerald Ford, White House, 1975.
Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Taiwan, 1976.
National Taiwan Arts Center, Taiwan, 1977.
Seton Hall University, NJ, 1977
China Institute, NY 1972
Duke University, Durham NC, 1973
Seton Hall University, South Orange NJ. 1973, 1975, 1977.
Time-Life Building, New York City, 1973
Gouda Municipal Museum, Netherlands, 1973
Rockland County Community College, Suffern NY, 1973
Van Reekum Gallery Apeldoorn, Netherlands, 197~
Union College, Cranford NJ, 1974
Morris County Community College, Dover NJ, 1975
Westfries Museum, Hoorn, Netherlands, 1975
Gallery Nine, Chatham NJ, 1975
East Orange Library, NJ 1976
Living Gallery, Butler, NY 175, 1978, 1979
Bloomfield Library, NJ, 1976
Philadelphia PA YMCA, 1977