CHU Teh-Chun’s father and grandfather were both doctors, practicing traditional Chinese medicine and, as amateurs, painting and calligraphy.

The financial ease conferred by their profession had enabled them, over the years, to acquire what Teh-Chun affectionately called “The CHU Family Collection”, paper rolls of Chinese paintings, carefully preserved and occasionally brought out to be shown.

CHU Teh-Chun would say: “My fondest childhood memories are perhaps the exhibitions of the CHU family collection every year in summer. My father would choose a nice day, place a few large wooden chests in some sunny spot, carefully take out the family heirloom, and then unroll the paintings on the floor to remove the moisture smell. What we called the family heirloom were those old paintings on which my father had spent a lot of money. There were some on paper, others on silk, my father scrutinised them, admired them again and again, standing beside them for a long time, captivated. Then, in his delight, he called me to join him and, pointing to a painting, began to tell me about it: this one is by Qiu Ying, this one by Chen Hongshou, Dong Qichang, ZhaShibiao, or Tang Yin … this is why it is admirable, in this particular respect. My father thus planted the seeds of my passion for painting, which is why, every years, I looked forward to the sunny day of the opening of the “CHU family collection exhibition”.