Poon Chiu Fung (1912-2003) & Yip Yan Cheung (1903-1969)

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Yee Wah's mother, Poon Chiu Fung was born in May 1912 in the Shunde region of Guangdong Province.  She graduated from Guangzhou High School of Fine Arts (Guangdong Municipal Arts Institute) in 1928, studying pattern design and was among the inner circle of favorite students of master of design teacher Chen Zhifo and also studied under Ding Yanyong, Wu Jin Tan, Huang Junbi and Ho Xunfung. In 1929, she married famous cartoonist Yip Yuen Tsin (Yip Yan Cheung).  In 1933, she participated in the City's first annual Art Festival and won First Prize in Decorative Design Painting.  That same year she started formal training at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts.  After graduating, she went into teaching at various schools. 

When the war against the Japanese invasion started, Chiu Fung and Yan Cheung sought refuge in Hong Kong. They made a living by doing commercial art, making miniature ceramic animals, piggy banks and handbag toys of fabric.  In 1941, the Yips moved back to the mainland and settled down north of GuangDong.  They taught school until the end of WWII and moved to GuangZhou where she was an art teacher at Pui Jen Middle School.  In 1951, they moved back to Hong Kong where she taught at St. Mark Middle School and Hip Yeun Girl School.  In 1958, she founded her Poon Chiu Fung Painting Academy.  

She received numerous prizes at arts events sponsored by the Hong Kong Education Department.  She also judged numerous art exhibits and served as a final exam art juror for the Department's middle school graduation test system.  She was on the board of directors and was vice president on Chinese Art Club Annual Exhibitions, VP of the Liu Dong Alumni Association, and was an art professor at the Tak Ming College, HK.  Chiu Fung had many solo and student-teacher exhibitions including these: Hong Kong City Hall HK, St. John Cathedral Hall HK, Women Artist Exhibition, HK, Chinese Fine Arts Association Art Exhibition, HK, Art Center of Mexicali, Mexico, and the San Diego Watercolor Exhibition, CA, USA.  Ding Yanyong  (Ting Yin Yung) discussed two of her Hong Kong exhibits. Her works and illustrations have been published such as in The Young Companion.  Mostly known for mural work, she had her piece "Confucius Travels" inlaid onto the side of the Ambassador Hotel, a 17 story mosaic with Italian made tiles. Other murals were installed in Sun Wong Toi Guardian memorial, Confucian Tai Shing Ho Kwok Pui Chun College.  Some of her work was in the St. Mark Middle School and Hip Yuen Middle School, Kowloon.  She also edited a Chinese art history book. In 1980, she emigrated to the US West Coast and exhibited in the American art circles. She appears in "Artists of Chinese Origin in North American Directory, 1993".

For more information on Yip Yan Cheung and Poon Chiu Fung, please see the downloadable documents below.  Note: some are in Chinese.