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David Kwok 1919 - 2003

David Kwok of Nutley, Essex County, NJ was born on November 3, 1919 in Beijing, Beijing China, and died at age 83 years old on August 11, 2003 in New Jersey United States.

David Kwok

Da-Wei Kwo

Nutley, Essex County, NJ 07110

November 3, 1919

Beijing, Beijing, China

August 11, 2003

New Jersey, United States

Male

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David Kwok David Kwok (1919 - 2003)

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David Kwok's History: 1919 - 2003

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Introduction

Da Wei Kwo also known as David Kwok was an exceptionally talented artist. I met him when I was fifteen year old at his studio on 57th Street. I just recounted our memorable meeting on Facebook today. It was when I had showed Betty White an original Da Wei Kwo painting of a Pekingese. "Betty had 3 dogs and in addition to Brandy the Saint Bernard, an a Poodle, Betty had a cute little Peke. My mother bought an original painting of an adorable and very sad looking Peke from an artist named David Kwok whose Chinese name was Da-Wei Kwo (Google his name) At that time in 1959, I wanted to show Betty the painting, and I was in the high school "camera club" so the photo is terrible. She was coming into New York to do a live soap opera, so she called me to meet her in NY and she was delighted to see the Peke painting by Da-Wei Kwo. But some time after, I was walking along 57th Street and spotted a small brass sign that said DAVID KWOK. I walked into his tiny office and said he had to make reprints of his Peke and I drew it for him and he was OVER THE MOON! 5 years later, I was in England in the town of Sutton going up an escalator in a department store and when I got to the second floor the wall was lined with Da-Wei Kwo Peke prints in a bunch of frames. I wanted to buy one but I had 6 more countries to see! Here is the photo of me showing the print to Betty White. She was 5'4" and weighed 110 lbs. She was very kind to me, and that helped me cope with being unpopular. To be successful, you have to go through it alone. Life is a PYRAMID. The special people are at the top of the pyramid trying to bring you up! And the losers are on the bottom, trying to keep you down. Betty is a Pyramid person. To have known her was a blessing that affected my whole life." Da Wei Kwo's books are in my art library. His daughter is a plastic surgeon. I will fill in more details. And I have given him and his art a fitting tribute.
11/3

1919

Birthday

November 3, 1919

Birthdate

Beijing, Beijing China

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

Chinese. Then an American Citizen.
Nationality & Locations

New York and New Jersey.
Early Life & Education

Famous Artist. He first studied art at the Art Institute of Nanjing and later under the tutelage of the late master, Qi Bai-Shih. He held his first art exhibition in Hong Kong in 1952.
Professional Career

Famous Chinese Artist. Brush Painting. See photos. About Artist and teacher Dr. David Kwo Da-Wei (1919-2003) became renowned for his Chinese brush paintings of his black cat, Kim. He also pioneered in using complete strokes to create impressionistic images. His limited edition lithographs are stamped in color and signed by the artist. Born in Beijing, 1919, he first studied art at the Art Institute of Nanjing and later under the tutelage of the late master, Qi Bai-Shih. He held his first art exhibition in Hong Kong in 1952. Since then, he had held over 20 one-man art exhibitions at leading art museums in US, Europe and Asia. He died in the United States in 2003.
Personal Life & Family

Kwo, Da-Wei 1919- Overview Works: 107 works in 177 publications in 3 languages and 1,246 library holdings Genres: Guidebooks Maps Tourist maps Exhibition catalogs Criticism, interpretation, etc Juvenile works Children's television programs History Animated television programs Children's films Roles: Author, Editor, Illustrator Classifications: DC708, 745.619951 Publication Timeline Most widely held works about Da-Wei Kwo Chinese paintings by David Kwok by Da-Wei Kwo( Book ) Chinese paintings by Kwo : [exhibition] December 1971, Montclair Art Museum by Da-Wei Kwo( Book ) Guo Dawei hua ji = Chinese paintings by David Kwo by Da-Wei Kwo( Book ) Dawei hua ji = Recent Chinese paintings by David Kwo by Da-Wei Kwo( Book ) Guo da wei zuo pin zhan = The solo exhibition of David Kwo by Da-Wei Kwo( Book ) moreShow More Titles Most widely held works by Da-Wei Kwo Chinese brushwork : its history, aesthetics, and techniques by Da-Wei Kwo( Book ) 12 editions published between 1977 and 1981 in English and held by 498 WorldCat member libraries worldwide Chinese brushwork in calligraphy and painting : its history, aesthetics, and techniques by Da-Wei Kwo( Book ) 14 editions published between 1981 and 2012 in English and held by 347 WorldCat member libraries worldwide Master artist, teacher and scholar traces historical development of techniques and styles from 14th century BC to present; analyzes aesthetic concepts, criteria, and schools associated with specific aesthetic qualities; and provides comprehensive, in-depth guide to materials, technical principles, and major brush strokes Paris by Alan Tillier( Book ) 7 editions published between 1995 and 2004 in Chinese and held by 50 WorldCat member libraries worldwide Experience the best of Paris with DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Paris. This newly updated travel guide for Paris will lead you straight to the best attractions this city has to offer, whether you are planning visits to the Louvre and other museums of Paris, a climb up the Eiffel Tower, or just want to go shopping Modern Chinese paintings by Da-Wei Kwo( Book ) 2 editions published in 1955 in English and held by 41 WorldCat member libraries worldwide Pu luo wang si yu wei lan hai an( Book ) 1 edition published in 1999 in Chinese and held by 22 WorldCat member libraries worldwide Guo da wei zuo pin zhan = The solo exhibition of David Kwo by Da-Wei Kwo( Book ) 1 edition published in 1991 in Chinese and held by 14 WorldCat member libraries worldwide Ba li by Da-Wei Kwo( Book ) 3 editions published between 1995 and 1996 in English and Chinese and held by 8 WorldCat member libraries worldwide Yuebo zhi gong : ren lei lao dong de sheng jing yu yan by Antonio Negri( Book ) 3 editions published in 2013 in Chinese and held by 8 WorldCat member libraries worldwide Modern Chinese paintings by David Kwok by Da-Wei Kwo( Book ) 3 editions published in 1955 in English and held by 8 WorldCat member libraries worldwide Gu dai Yiselie de jing bai : yao dian zhi nan cong shu 3 = Worship in ancient Israel : an essential guide by Walter Brueggemann( Book ) 1 edition published in 2014 in Chinese and held by 6 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
08/11

2003

Death

August 11, 2003

Death date

Unknown
Cause of death

New Jersey United States
Death location

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Obituary

KWO - David, of Nutley, on Aug. 11, 2003, beloved husband of Rita (nee Tang) Kwo, father of Dr. Sophia Kwo. Funeral services will be conducted from The BIONDI FUNERAL HOME OF NUTLEY, 540 Franklin Ave., on Saturday at 2 p.m. Pastor Betty Young officiating. Visitation Saturday afternoon 2-4 p.m Dynamics of Chinese brushwork; Chinese Brushwork: Its History, Aesthetics, and Technique, by Kwo Da-wei. Montclair, N.J.: Allanheld & Schram, 30 Park Street 07042. 204 pp. $37.50. April 28, 1982 By Mary S. Cowen For those of us who did not grow up using a brush to do our schoolwork, the appreciation of Oriental brushwork in painting and calligraphy may seem like a fine art in itself. There are many books and manuals on Oriental painting, including the classic ''Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting,'' known as ''The Way of Chinese Painting'' in English. Kwo Wa-Dei, however, a Chinese scholar, teacher, and artist who has been working in the United States for more than two decades, thinks most previous books in English do not sufficiently clarify the aesthetics or the relationship between calligraphy and painting. He has written this book to provide a compact guide that will permit Westerners to enter into Chinese paintings almost as if they were the artists. He gives a good idea of how the Chinese judge their own art. He says it helps to be able to classify a piece correctly, to evaluate its quality of line and composition while following the movements of the brush. He then proceeds to instruct us in this classification and analysis. Readers who follow his directions for manipulating the brush will have an even fuller understanding than those who just read the book, but even that gives quite an insight into what ''The Mustard Seed Garden'' sometimes dodges by saying, ''It can only be perceived, but cannot be conveyed by words.'' Granted, the whole point of painting is to convey that which cannot be conveyed by words, but when painting and writing are so intertwined as they are in Chinese art, it is worth a try to put words to the ineffable. The book's sections on history and aesthetics bring in the philosophic background and criteria, mainly Buddhist grafted onto Taoist, behind the art. The work involves a way of life and a search for essence, with the results evident in the brushwork. Fewer jobs at City Hall - one way Flynn can begin to arrest the deficit Kwo Wa-Dei explains that a springing, resilient force behind the brush is necessary to keep the line ''alive.'' Using both words and pictures, he illustrates how artists make the brush dance. He also takes issue with the classic Six Methods of painting. He argues that the classic first method of lively spirit, or Chi Yuen, is a result, not really a method. And he insists that the last of the Six Methods, tracing, should also be dropped, since it leads to sterile work. Dr. Kwo goes on to explain what distinguishes Ya (that which is elegant, noble, refined) from Su (that which is vulgar, ostentatious, artificial), quoting a famous 18th-century artist's thoughts on who is unfit to paint. These unworthy artists include ''those who have lost their child-like heart; those who are chasing money and profit; those who want to flatter others and those who are lazy and not hard workers. . . .'' This useful book has chronological charts of periods, calligraphic styles, and dominant painting subjects, plus a list of major terms in English and Chinese, a bibliography, and an index.

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David Kwok lived 11 years longer than the average family member when died at the age of 83.

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26 Memories, Stories & Photos about David

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/09/2024

David Kwok (Da Wei Kwo) painting.

I have his books too.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/09/2024

David Kwok

Another Peke.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/09/2024

David Kwok's daugher, Sophia H. Kwo, MD

She is a plastic surgeon in Queens, NYC.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/17/2019

Da Wei Kwo, Artist

A photo of Da Wei Kwo's cat painting.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/18/2019

David Kwok

A photo of David Kwok

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

David Kwok demonstrating his painting method in England.

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/05/2022

David Kwok demonstrating his painting method in England.

Da Wei Kwo. My mother had an original painting of a sad Pekingese in 1958. I showed it to Betty White because she had a Peke. I saw his brass sign on 57th Street and went in and did a drawing of it and told Mr. Kwo he should make a print of it. He was so touched by my interest and enthusiasm. When I went to England in 1964, I saw a row of them in a department store in Banstead, UK but I was taking the Grand Tour of Europe and didn't want to carry one. My mother's painting was stolen. But I
bought a great print of it on Ebay 56 years later!

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Joseph Romeo

11 favorites

10/19/2021

Found this gem in a small antique store in Pennsylvania

Thank you for allowing me to share. I found a great piece that I later found out it was by Dr. David Kwo. The framing was very simple so it immediately grabbed my attention as my eyes went to the details of the painting/lithograph rather than the distraction of a frame. I looked on the back and it was sealed up by small tack pins & brown paper. The art dealer on the back with a penciled-in number/lot was L.A. Bigelow was a framing company and art dealer in Boston, MA that operated from 1890-1950. I tried to do as much digging as I could to see if Bigelow ever had some sort of art scandal that could damage their reputation. I am happy to report that they seemed to have been squeaky clean. This piece has given great pleasure since I found it back in 1993. Thank you - I wish I could've uploaded it.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

05/02/2020

David Kwok

This is the British print that I had convinced Da Wei Kwo to sell based on a painting he had sold to my mother. I was in England in 1964 and saw it then and because I was just starting my first tour of Europe I did not buy it. Now I am bidding for it. Isn't it adorable? It took me only a life time of 56 years to find it! Date: April 1964 Location: Sutton, England. It is amazing that I even found it in England the first time I went to a department store! I was 20 years old but I suggested it when I was 15.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/17/2019

David Kwok

A photo of David Kwok (business) Da Wei Kwo (Artist Name)

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/18/2019

David Kwok

A photo of David Kwok

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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David Kwok Nov 3, 1919 - Aug 11, 2003

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