TING YIN YUNG (1902-1978) was born and raised in the province of Guangdong, regarded as the hub of the Chinese revolution and at the forefront of progressive political thought. He was one of the earliest artists to advocate going beyond fusing East and West and infusing Western-style Chinese oil paintings with elements drawn directly from Chinese traditions to achieve a unique language, satisfying the needs of a modernised Chinese art and, indeed, of a nation striving to be contemporary.