Raymond Hu: Biography

 

 
 

Raymond Hu is a twenty-one-year-old artist residing in Alamo, CA.  Born with Down syndrome, Raymond graduated from San Ramon Valley High School, Danville, California in summer 1996, where he was enrolled in a full inclusion program for four years.  Since Sept. 1996, he has been attending a Transistion Program in the high school, and taking art and other classes at Diablo Valley College and Laney College.

 

Raymond has been studying Chinese brush painting with renowned San Francisco artist Lampo Leong since 1990.  He has developed a uniquely free and expressive style of painting that has won much critical acclaim.  In the last few years, he has concentrated on painting animals, ranging from lions to tigers, lizards, elephants, birds, and fish.  He uses photos of animal images as models, but his interpretation is quite unique.  The medium he uses is ink and watercolor applied with round brush on thin absorbant rice-paper.

 

Raymond is fascinated by animals, and paints them up close.  His animal paintings end up looking like portraits.  It seems he has zoomed into their face with a magnifying glass.  He feels an affinity for animals, and imbues human quality and emotions into his subjects.  The soulful gazes of his animals capture the imagination of viewers, inviting them to think and look beyond.  His style is bold and expressive, characterized by strong lines, spirited strokes and vibrant colors. His compositions are full and abstract.

 

Raymond's paintings have won many awards and honors.  In 1993, his Tiger was awarded the first prize in "A Very Special Art Show", a statewide competition sponsored by the Sacramento Association for the Retarded and chosen from over 1,000 entries to be the Association's 20th Anniversary Show poster.  In 1994, his Elephant won second prize in the Student Art Contest of the California Association for the Gifted.  In September 1995, Raymond was honored by a Tribute to Raymond in the Congressional Records.  In 1996, his White Dove was selected to be the cachet design for the Official First Day Cover of the United Nations Philatelists to commemorate the issuance of six stamps on the theme of "A Plea for Peace".
Raymond's art has been exhibited widely in the United States and abroad. Most noteworthy are his solo shows at the Bedford gallery, Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, Sept.-Nov., 1995, the Marjorie Evans Gallery in Carmel, Oct.-Nov., 1996, and at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center in Oakland, Aug.-Oct., 1997.  He also has an ongoing exhibit at the Very Special Arts Gallery West, Beverly Hills, California.    Raymond has been the subject of many articles in newspapers and magazines, television interviews and documentaries.

 

A documentary Raymond's Portrait: the Life and Art of Raymond Hu, produced by award-winning producer Donald Young, was first aired on KCSM-TV60, San Mateo, California, May 28, 1997.  The documentary was very well received in the San Francisco bay area and may be released nationally. A book entitled The Eyes of Raymond Hu, containing 42 fascinating paintings of animals by Raymond, was recently published and has been a popular item in local bookstores.

 

Raymond enjoys reading, rock music, movies, playing soccer and basketball, swimming, traveling and good food.  He is passionate about working with children, and is a frequent volunteer in elementary schools and special education programs.


 
 


 
 
 

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