Though born in China, Lo Ch’ing grew up in Taiwan, where his family relocated when he was barely a year old. Very early on, he learned classical ink painting in the court tradition from a painting master of the Qing dynasty.
Though known as a painter and calligrapher, Lo is also widely acclaimed as a poet. He was a student at the English Department of Taipei’s Fu Jen Catholic University and earned a Master of Arts in Comparative Literature from the University of Washington in Seattle. Lo also taught literature and fine arts in universities in Taiwan, the United States, the United Kingdom, China and the Czech Republic. He is one of the pioneers of postmodern poetry in Taiwan and his poems have been translated into many languages. In 1996, Lo was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature.
When it comes to his ink paintings, Lo has created a signature out of deconstructing classical Chinese landscapes through the introduction of abstract and geometric elements, and other unexpected contemporary images into his compositions. The titles of his pieces are usually linked to ‘conversations with Chinese masters.’
Lo’s work is in the collection of the National Palace Museum in Taipei. He currently teaches English and Chinese culture at the National Taiwan Normal University.
