Standing in the “Bong Wai Chen: Reframing Tradition” exhibition at the Portland Chinatown Museum, Stephen Chen is taken back to the early 1960s when he would watch his father paint butterflies and horses, each brushstroke a precise and perfected moment in time.
“He was known for his horses and bamboo,” said Stephen Chen, viewing his father’s art on display. “If you saw him paint, you would see how each stroke is one stroke, as soon as the ink touches the paper, that’s it.”
At the opening reception for “Bong Wai Chen: Reframing Tradition” on May 18, his four surviving children, Stephen Chen, Spencer Chen, Serena Chen and Sabrina Lozano, saw their father’s work displayed in a gallery for the first time.
They came together again Saturday, July 13, for a reception at the Portland Chinatown Museum and a reunion for Chinese Language School students at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association office. Honoring Bong Wai Chen’s legacy, the afternoon was filled with stories from his life, memories from language school and joyful reconnections between family and friends.
Bong Wai Chen rose to prominence in Portland in the 1950s and was known for his traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting. During the 17 years he lived in Portland, Bong Wai Chen worked as a greeter at Chinese Village Restaurant, a principal for the Chinese Language School and in 1960, he opened the Chinese Art Studio all in Chinatown.
As an authority on Chinese calligraphy, Bong Wai Chen taught art classes in his studio, lectured on the theory and practice of calligraphy and provided demonstrations for schools and cultural events during his time in Portland. He is also regarded as a pioneer for cultural understanding and exchange, family members said.
From 1950 to 1967, Bong Wai Chen, his wife, Virginia Chen, and four of his children, Stephen, Spencer, Serena and Sabrina, lived in Portland. Stanford Chen, the artist’s second-born son who was raised in Oakland, California, died in 1999.
In 1967, the family returned to Oakland after Bong Wai Chen was diagnosed with kidney failure caused by Bright’s Disease. He died shortly after on Feb. 12, 1968. By supplying artwork from their own personal collections for the Portland exhibition, Bong Wai Chen’s children were able to reconnect with their father and each other.
“Through this, we’ve learned so much history about our own parents, our lives, and each other that has enriched our stories,” Sabrina Lozano said.
The exhibition, curated by Roberta May Wong, is a retrospective on the art and life of Bong Wai Chen. In the gallery, dozens of pieces featuring landscapes, animals and calligraphy display his work. A smaller room in the museum includes images from Bong Wai Chen’s life, showing news clips and photographs from events, his store and calligraphy tools he used during his lifetime.
The first piece visitors see as they enter the museum is a letter written by Bong Wai Chen to his wife, Virginia Chen, in Chinese calligraphy. The piece is titled, The Virtue of Hui,” and is signed with butterflies, a repeating motif in his art, symbolizing freedom and evolution, said Sabrina Lozano.
“The piece — you see it when you walk in — is actually a love note from him to her,” Sabrina Lozano said. “And in it he basically thanks her for putting up with his ambition … and leading such a simple life.”
The artwork is dated a few months before the family moved back to Oakland in 1967. The calligraphy is shaky, said Spencer Chen, who realized his father knew he was dying as he wrote the love letter to his wife.
“When my dad died, I was very young,” Sabrina Lozano said. “So I stayed with my mother quite a bit at home and at some point, she said to me, ‘One day I hope we could have an exhibit of dad’s work in one place.’ I think that’s why it’s so special. We finally get to fulfill her dream.”
Following the viewing, the family reunited with classmates at the Chinese Language School reunion, where Bong Wai Chen served as the first official principal. Click here to read more about the event.
Learn more about Bong Wai Chen here or visit the Portland Chinatown Museum at 127 N.W. Third Ave., open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday - Sunday. “Bong Wai Chen: Reframing Tradition” will be on display until Oct. 27.
— Chiara Profenna covers religion, faith and cultural connections. Reach her at 503-221-4327; cprofenna@oregonian.com or @chiara_profenna
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