The Master of The Water, Pine and Stone Retreat was born in Wimbledon, England, and has been living in Hong Kong for decades. His original name is Hugh Moss. He is a well-known connoisseur, antique dealer and scholar and is particularly noted for his collection of snuff bottles, scholarly arts, painting, calligraphy and modern art. He has been actively promoting various artists, such as Wang Jiqian (C. C. Wang), Fang Zhaolin, Liu Dan, Liu Guosong, He Huaishuo, Chen Qikuan and others, bringing them to a wider audience in the international art market. In the past decades, he has devoted himself to creating ink paintings. His works are widely exhibited in Hong Kong and overseas, and are collected by museums, institutions and private collectors.

His work is informed by his profound knowledge of Chinese painting and calligraphy and yet he injects his subjects (landscapes, rocks and woods) with an innovative sensibility at the same time. His paintings often balance highly imaginative and creative compositions with brush work which is strongly reminiscent of classical literati painting. They sometimes include fantastic visions of subjects hidden in the pictorial compositions, adding another level to the visual journey. At times, there is even a subtle touch of ironic humor. He composes poems, or writes other inscriptions in English on his paintings, thereby combining the arts of poetry, painting and calligraphy in one work, something often found in the works of true scholars/artists.

Daoist Belly-laugh
Ink on cotton paper
h94 x 212 cm
April 2014

Assessing a Strange Stone from Within
The Five Strange Stones of the Neidan Alchemist

Ink and water colours on cloud dragon paper mounted down on xuan paper
137 x 68 cm
September 2015