Exhibition
The Meticulous Mystics
Wonders of Chinese Gongbi Painting
Coming soon
July 16 - August 16, 2026
Cheuk Yan Tung reimagines the centuries-old tradition of Chinese gongbi painting as a living, critical language for the present. Grounded in meticulous brushwork and disciplined technique, her practice extends beyond aesthetic refinement to engage directly with contemporary social and political realities. The resulting works balance breathtaking beauty with incisive cultural critique, inviting viewers into a space where delicacy and urgency coexist.
This exhibition presents Cheuk Yan Tung’s work as a compelling model for how traditional artistic practices can actively engage with contemporary lived experience. Rather than treating heritage as static or nostalgic, her paintings demonstrate how tradition is sustained through continual reinterpretation—carried forward by artists who live within, question, and respond to the world around them. Highlighting Cheuk Yan Tung’s lyrical and precise brushwork, the exhibition also features a live gongbi painting demonstration at the museum.
During this in-action presentation, audiences will witness how this centuries-old technique is practiced today and engage in conversation with the artist about her ongoing exploration of what it means to work as a traditional painter in a contemporary cultural landscape. The exhibition will also feature a student artwork created through Cheuk Yan Tung's residency with Artists in Public Schools at Nicholas Senn High School. During the multi-week residency, Artists in Public Schools connected Tung with students to explore the centuries-old tradition of Gongbi painting, fostering creative exchange between a practicing artist and the next generation of creatives. The inclusion of the student artwork celebrates the lasting impact of the timeless artform and creative collaboration beyond the classroom.
About the Artist
Cheuk Yan Tung is a Hong Kong-born interdisciplinary artist, currently based in Chicago. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Bachelor of Art in Fine Arts from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
In terms of recognition, Tung was awarded the New Artist Development Grant by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2024, as well as the Luminarts Visual Arts Award and James Nelson Raymond Scholarship in 2023. Her artwork has been showcased in various venues in Hong Kong and the United States, including Touch Gallery in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre, as well as Union League Club Chicago, Garrett Museum of Art, CSI Project Space, SAIC Gallery, Ruschman Gallery, and the John David Mooney Foundation in the US.
About the Partnership
Artists in Public Schools, a nonprofit organization founded in 2017 that pairs Chicago artists, designers, and creatives with Chicago Public School, is thrilled to announce its first collaboration with the Heritage Museum of Asian Art on The Meticulous Mystics: Wonders of Chinese Gongbi Painting. The exhibition, on view July 16 to August 16, 2026, will highlight the work of Artists in Public Schools Residency Artist, Cheuk Yan Tung whose otherworldly work explores contemporary social and political realities through the ancient art of Chinese Gongbi painting.
Ms. Tung brought the meticulous brushwork and disciplined technique of Gongbi painting into Nicholas Senn High School, during her Artists in Public Schools residency during the 2025/26 school year. Ms. Tung worked with a visual arts class for a multi-week residency in which students were encouraged to observe the natural world—studying local plants, birds, and animals—and express their findings using traditional Gongbi materials and methods, such as mineral pigments, fine brushes, and layered ink lines on rice paper or silk. In conjunction with the residency experience, students attended a free field trip to the Heritage Museum of Asian Art. Ms. Tung provided a tour of the museum with a focus on Asian ink paintings; Gongbi works were provided from the HMAA’s archives for students to get an up close view. Of the residency experience, Senn Visual Arts classroom teacher Ms. Angelica Mendoza shared: “The residency and collaboration ignited a curiosity in the students about the Gongbi technique. They were also very curious about Cherry and excited to see her professional work. They haven't had exposure to a practicing professional artist before, so they were very keen on engaging with her and trying to learn the techniques she demonstrated.”
The residency culminated with students painting their own silk fans with a local flora or fauna of their choice. One residency artwork, by Senn student Nicole P., will be exhibited at the Heritage Museum of Asian Art within Ms. Tung’s solo exhibition, showing the power and impact of student and artist collaborations in Chicago Public Schools.
Since 2017, Artists in Public Schools has reached 97 schools across 67 neighborhoods, partnering with 95+ professional artists to make meaningful art experiences accessible to Chicago youth.
Events
Sat, Jul 18Heritage Museum of Asian ArtJoin us for the opening reception of The Meticulous Mystics: Wonders of Chinese Gongbi Painting, a solo exhibition by artist Cheuk Yan Tung. Through exquisitely detailed brushwork and contemporary perspectives, Tung reimagines the centuries-old tradition of gongbi painting for the present day.