Renowned Watercolor Artist
Maytin Kan was a legend in watercolor painting. Well-known in the seventies, he was regarded as the “King” or “Master of Watercolor” in the East. In 1949, Maytin Kan moved from China to Hong Kong with his family. A year later he established the Parkway Art Studio and shared his passion for watercolor painting with growing numbers of followers. From 1951 onward, he taught art at Clementi Middle School, trained art teachers in Adult Education, and was a regular lecturer for the Chinese Civil Servants Association. Although he retired from Clementi Middle School in the seventies, the school still honors him by offering an annual Ho/Kan Art Scholarship to its students.
Maytin Kan’s art first debuted publicly in 1939 and he had been involved in over fifty art exhibitions, either solo or joint, with his sister Szemei Kan and his Parkway Art Studio students. His painting exhibitions were held both locally and abroad, including Taipei, Osaka, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, New York City, and Ontario, Canada, including Gairlock Gardens Art Gallery in Oakville, Station Gallery in Whitby and Western University in London.
Maytin Kan’s philosophy was, "Art is the Source of Life". He painted Life with simple, yet beautiful colors, patterns, shapes and forms using his unique and difficult-to-master transparent watercolor technique. Although his art journey began when he was a teenager, he never stopped painting until he suffered several strokes around 1992. He passed away in 1998.
To honor his achievements, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council published a book of watercolor paintings on his behalf, “Maytin KAN Master of Watercolor” and sponsored an art exhibition in memory of his works, at Hong Kong City Hall in December 1999.
In November 2010 his paintings were on display at the Kan's Family Art Exhibition at Hong Kong City Hall. In May 2012, some of his past art students from Hong Kong honored Maytin Kan by creating a joint Teacher-Students Exhibition of their work and highlighting several pieces of Maytin Kan’s artwork at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto. The response from the public was overwhelming and they came from near and far to appreciate Maytin Kan’s art and the legacy he left. It has been more than a decade since his passing, but his style of watercolor is vividly remembered by art lovers worldwide. There is no question that Maytin Kan is still considered the Master of Watercolor.
