Born to a literati family in Shanghai, China, Huang Yao (1914-1987) received his formative education from his father in classical literati traditions and calligraphy, particularly in the archaic scripts of oracle bone and bronze inscription. In the 1930s, he gained recognition as a talented cartoonist for creating the comic character “Niu Bi Zi” which was widely used as an educational resource in schools. Huang travelled to Southeast Asia after the end of World War II in 1945, and resided in different countries before settling permanently in Malaysia in 1956. He worked primarily as an art educator until his retirement in 1973. A prolific artist, he had held 23 solo and group exhibitions and six retrospective exhibitions.Huang’s strong foundation in Chinese legends, folklore, mythology, history, literature and philosophy often provided him with inspiration and subject matter for the depiction of different characters in his art. Depicted here is the tale of how the warrior Zhou Chu, in a bid to redeem himself, killed the three threats to his village. With subtle tonal ink variations and different brushworks Huang captures the dramatic moment when Zhou Chu kills the dragon as it thrashes in the swirling waters.
