The Andy Warhol Museum hosted a casual dinner in celebration of Michael Chow at Mr. Chow in Miami’s South Beach.
As an ongoing celebration of Zhou Xinfang’s 120th posthumous birthday earlier this year in Shanghai and Beijing, Voice For My Father comes to The Andy Warhol Museum in February 2016.
The exhibition marks the artist’s first solo show in the United States. Three main bodies of work are featured, which include new paintings completed expressly for The Warhol exhibition, vintage photographs of the artist’s father Zhou Xinfang—a grand master of the Beijing Opera—and a collection of portraits of Chow.
These were painted by his contemporaries, such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Ed Ruscha, linking his practice with the contemporary art communities of London, New York, and Los Angeles. US Trust will support the exhibition in Pittsburgh.
This represents Michael Chow’s return to painting after a nearly 50-year hiatus. The show was conceived as a homage to the artist’s father, and it is thought of as a return to the creative voice embodied for the artist by his father.
The exhibition is anchored by several of the artist’s monumental paintings, works whose style reflects the visual traditions of Chinese art, Western abstract expressionism, and the bold gestures of Qi School Beijing opera, founded by Chow’s father.
Guests such as Julian Schnabel, Vito Schnabel, Russell Simmons, Aby Rosen, Alberto Mugrabi, Noah Horowitz, Brett Gorvy, Michael Govan, Mario Testino, Stefano Tonchi, and Paris Hilton were welcomed by a monumental painting by Mr. Chow, in addition to works by artists such as Peter Blake and Denise De Rue.
Mixing East and West, guests were also treated to surprise performances by Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo, accompanied by pianist Vincenzo Scalero, and Beijing Opera stars Hongsong Dong, Yi Guo, and Hui Tian with violinist Mei Yang.
A performance by Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo, accompanied by pianist Vincenzo Scalero, and Beijing Opera stars Hongsong Dong, Yi Guo, and Hui Tian with violinist Mei Yang provided a once in a lifetime experience bridging East and West. Generous support for the event was provided by Christie’s and Dom Perignon.