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“Two Girls” Cosmetics Calendar, Kwong Sang Hong

• Designer

  Kwan Wai-nung

• Year

  1934

• Media

  Poster

• Museum No.

  HM1996.95.262

• Artist Bio

  Kwan Wai-nung (1880-1956) was born in Nanhai, Guangdong province. He learnt to paint in both the Chinese and the western manner from an early age. During a residence of nearly fifty years in Hong Kong, he worked as a commercial artist, designing and printing advertising materials. His achievement was recognized in the accolade “King of the Calendar Poster”. He came to public awareness with his watercolour paintings of Chinese ladies in western style, . He was an art director in the South China Morning Post. In 1915, he founded Asiatic Lithographic Printing Press. In amalgamating western and Chinese techniques, Kwan created a unique style for commercial art.

• Description

  Calendar posters were popular in early 20th century.  Some corporates would invite painters to illustrate their products meticulously on promotional posters and print them as gifts of calendars to customers.  During the era of poverty, such decorative and functional posters were widely welcomed by the public.  This calendar poster was designed by Kwan Wai-nung for Kwong Sang Hong’s cosmetics brand “Two Girls”.  Two girls holding flowers are featured as the main subjects, with product illustrations as the decorative border, presenting an elegant and fresh image of the brand. In addition to the annual calendar, the back of the poster is also printed with pictures of Kwong Sang Hong’s factories to show the company’s strong capability.

• —Collection of Hong Kong Heritage Museum

• More information
  Hong Kong Heritage Museum