Hau Beiren @ 100

Hau Beiren @ 100:
Works from Old Apricot Villa

Los Altos History Museum
51 South San Antonio Road
Los Altos, California

Thursday & Friday,
December 29-30, 2016

By Peter Y. Chou
WisdomPortal.com

Preface: On December 29, 2016, I mailed my "Poems 2016" and "On Number 95" to my Cornell Professor Harold A. Scheraga for his 95th birthday and year-end holiday greetings at the Los Altos Post Office. Then I went to the Los Altos History Museum at 3:25 pm and stayed till 4 pm closing for "Hau Beiren @ 100: Works from Old Apricot Villa" exhibit. There are 12 of Paul Hau's paintings shown with 6 info-boards on his artwork techniques with a biography of him. I was expecting a large crowd at the History Museum since there are just three days left before last day of the exhibit on Dec. 31. However, I was the only visitor there. Only one other fellow was there— the artist himself, Paul Hau! We had a 15-minutes chat about art. He was in Chengtu in 1942 a year after I was born. I mentioned my Dad taught at Chengtu University where he met Joseph Needham and became friends. Biochemist Needham learned Chinese from his students and wrote seven volumes Science and Civilisation in China that documented Chinese scientific discoveries. I told Paul how much I enjoyed his February 23, 2013 YouTube talk on Chang Dai-chien's artistry. Picasso regarded Chang Dai-chien as his mentor. I didn't buy any Note Cards or books on sale, just relishing my conversations with a great 100-years-old master with a strong firm handshake. Paul Hau has no email, but invited me to his home for more talks. He said I could write him snail mail. Below are 35 photos from this wonderful exhibit.