An Exhibition of his Calligraphy, Paintings, and Historical Documents,
Physical Exhibition: 2 November 2024 - 8 December 2024
Honouring the 110th Anniversary of Venerable Bo Yuan:
An Exhibition of his Calligraphy, Paintings, and Historical Documents,
featuring Masterpieces Donated by C.N. Liew
In conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of Malaysia-China Diplomatic Relations and the Establishment of the
Venerable Bo Yuan Memorial Hall
Throughout his life, the Venerable made remarkable contributions to Buddhism, Chinese education in Malaysia, and culture.
This exhibition presents a complete display of the Venerable’s calligraphy and ink paintings from various eras, as well as his documents and artefacts.
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Artwork images
翰墨因缘
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Ink on rice paper
109.5 x 37 cm
1999
沙清鱼上晚 春冷慈来稀
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Ink on rice paper
132 x 34 cm x 2pcs
1982
草书中堂
黄河远上白云间 一片孤城万仞山
羌笛何须怨杨柳 春风不度玉门关
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Ink on rice paper
138 x 42 cm
1994
孟宗冬月求春笋 一片真心绿上林
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Ink and colour on rice paper
70 x 132.5 cm
1982
傲雪冲寒忘岁月 松龄石寿共长春
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Ink and colour on rice paper
135 x 69 cm
1981
Misty Landscape
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Ink and colour on rice paper
138 x 51.5 cm
1979
云崕观瀑
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Ink and colour on rice paper
69 x 136 cm
Unknown
Flying Eagle
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Ink and colour on rice paper
112 x 68 cm
1975
不与百花争艳丽 人间独让此花王
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Ink and colour on rice paper
68 x 132 cm
1993
Art and Dharma, offered to the world divine,
Only those of noble virtue see its spirit shine.
— Excerpt from Venerable’s work Talking about the past amongst the whistling pines
Venerable Bo Yuan was born in 1914 in Fuan, Fujian Province, China. At the age of 19, he became a monk at Shifeng Temple in his hometown, and was ordained at the renowned Gushan Yongquan Temple, in Fujian Province, where he became a disciple of the centenarian monk, Master Xu Yun. He was later sent by Gushan main temple to the Kek Lok Si Temple Penang to serve as the abbot in 1947. In 1959, he participated in the establishment of the Malaysian Buddhist General Association (later referred to as MBA) with his fellow Buddhist monks, Venerable Zhu Mo, Venerable Jin Xing, and Venerable Jin Ming.
Venerable Bo Yuan dedicated his entire life to the cause of Buddhism, leaving a profound impact on the spread of Chinese culture in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia. In 2000, he was the first Chinese artist to hold a major solo exhibition at the National Art Gallery of Malaysia, showcasing his Chinese ink masterpieces. In addition to his painting and calligraphy, he also published a number of books on calligraphy practice and art catalogues, providing valuable references for research.
Throughout his life, the Venerable made remarkable contributions to Buddhism, Chinese education in Malaysia, and culture. In 2009, Venerable Bo Yuan passed away on the 15th day of the 3rd month in the lunar calendar, with tens of thousands of people coming to pay their last respects. The Venerable’s noble actions were deeply rooted in his homeland, spreading far and wide overseas. He lived a life marked by both compassion and wisdom, making a lasting contribution not only to China and Malaysia but also to communities around the world.
“Honouring the 110th Anniversary of Venerable Bo Yuan: An Exhibition of his Calligraphy, Paintings, and Historical Documents, featuring Masterpieces Donated by C.N. Liew” will present a complete display of the Venerable’s calligraphy and ink paintings from various eras, as well as his documents and artefacts. The exhibition is divided into three main thematic areas: the ground floor will present valuable loaned works from local collectors; the mezzanine floor will display documents and artefacts from Venerable Bo Yuan during his time promotingBuddhism in Malaysia; and the first floor will showcase Venerable Bo Yuan’s paintings from C.N. Liew’s collection, which were donated to the Bo Yuan Memorial Hall at Shifeng Temple in Fu’an, Fujian, China, under the Chinese Buddhist Association, a site recognized for provincial-level cultural relic protection and patriotic education
As a disciple of Venerable Bo Yuan and a practitioner in art and calligraphy, C.N. Liew has been fortunate to receive guidance from the Venerable. Their shared passion and deep affinity have led to his inheritance of Venerable’s treasured calligraphic works and paintings. In order to further promote the exchange of Buddhist culture and art between Malaysia and China, C.N. Liew has decided to donate his precious collections to the Venerable Bo Yuan Memorial Hall in Fujian, China, as a tribute to his mentor, as well as a reflection of the everlasting friendship and cultural integration between Malaysia and China.
The exhibition and the series of activities are jointly organised by Soka Gakkai Malaysia and the Malaysia-China Friendship Association, with the support of the Peking University Malaysia Alumni Association, Jeth Fine Art and LLG Cultural Development Centre, Institute of Chinese Studies – Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, PJ Kwan Inn Teng , Klang Hokkien Association, the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu-Chi Foundation Malaysia (KL_Selangor Branch), Fo Guang Shan Malaysia, and Adaptive Design Matrix Development Sdn Bhd. (ADMD). Numerous esteemed monks, scholars, and cultural figures provided valuable insights for the preparation and promotion of the exhibition and related events. Together, they are dedicated to honouring Venerable Bo Yuan, the revered monk from Fujian renowned for his virtue and cultural achievements both at home and abroad. This momentous occasion also highlights the significance of his return to Buddhism, his homeland, and the people, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations.
Exhibition opening hours: 11 am – 5 pm (Closed on Mondays)
Prior appointment is required for groups of more than 20 people, Please get in touch with us at https://b.link/WhatsApp_SokaPCE
Venerable Bo Yuan
Venerable Bo Yuan, initially named Li Defu, was born in Fujian Province, China in 2009. He was a Malaysian Buddhist high priest. He went to a private school in his childhood where he learnt poetry and calligraphy. At 19, Venerable Bo Yuan became a monk at the Fu’an Shifeng Guanghua Temple. At 20, he received the full ordination from Venerable Xu Yun at Yongquan Temple in Gushan, Fuzhou Province. In 1937, at the age of 24, Venerable Bo Yuan pursued his studies at Shigu Buddhist Academy at Gushan. That same year, the Marco Polo Bridge Incident occurred, marking the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War. In response to the call for war efforts, the Chinese Central Training Directorate ordered monks from across the country to be enlisted into military training units. However, Venerable Tai Xu negotiated with the authorities, requesting that all monks and nuns be trained as medical aid teams, in line with the Buddhist principle of upholding life’s highest dignity. Venerable Bo Yuan had twice undergone medical rescue training during this period.
In 1947, he was sent to Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang, Malaysia and served as the abbot. Apart from propagating Buddhism, the Venerable also devoted himself to the study of calligraphy and painting. In 1961, he was invited to preach in Kuala Lumpur and later founded a temple named Hubin Jingshe and dedicated himself to Buddhism in Kuala Lumpur and making selfless contributions in the fields of culture, arts and education. He served as a permanent adviser to the Malaysian Buddhist Association.
The Venerable infused the spiritual realm of Buddhist meditation into his calligraphy works and paintings. His calligraphy shows powerful strength, comparable to the grandeur of the Diamond Sutra, combined with a refined and liberated style. He often painted plum blossoms and bamboo as expressions of noble virtues and sources of inspiration to the world.