Nina Pryde 派瑞芬

Early Years

Born in 1945, on the day when Hong Kong was liberated from Japan’s occupation, Nina Pryde grew up as one of nine children. She left school early to play her part in raising what was a large family in difficult financial circumstances. Throughout this time, drawing was a a passion, and she was later to develop this at an academic level, studying fashion design and pottery.

Academic Education and Influences

Nina joined the School of Continuing and Professional Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and in 2004 obtained a Diploma in Fine Arts. After problems with her hands forced her to give up pottery, Nina then studied Chinese Ink Painting at the Hong Kong Chingying Institute of Visual Arts with renowned artist Wucius Wong.

Following this, Nina joined a Masters course in fine arts jointly run by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and the Hong Kong School of Art from which she graduated in 2007 with the Outstanding Student Award for her work, “The Sound of Silence”.

Nina now works from the Pryde Studio in Fotan, Hong Kong.

Internalizing the Outer World

Nina revels in the landscapes of Hong Kong, revealed to her on the hiking trails where she seeks inspiration from the natural world. She has also incorporated the landscapes of Japan into her works, travelling widely and applying the external world to paper.

Unexpected Combinations

After graduation Nina continued to study with Wucius Wong and under his mentoring she further developed her own style and technique.

Nina’s creations combine ink art with collage, juxtaposing classical landscapes with modern details.  The blending of eternal and the contemporary creates a twist in the viewer’s perception, and the seamless mix of the two draws the viewer in to assimilate the unexpected information.

Exhibition History and Collector Base

Nina is a Member of the Hong Kong Union of Visual Artists and Chinese Ink Painting Institute, as well as Honorary President of the Hong Kong Modern Ink Painting Society.

Her works have been exhibited in Art15, London (2015), Fine Art Asia, Hong Kong (2014), Reflections in Ink at the Hong Kong Central Library Exhibition Hall (2011), The 3rd Contemporary Chinese Painting Biennial Exhibition, Taiwan (2010) and others. In 2003, she was awarded second prize for Creative Artwork by the Association of Artists in China (Guilin City) and Korea (Incheon City). Nina was also a finalist at the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Awards in 2013.

Her works are in the collections of The University Museum and Art Gallery of Hong Kong University and The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel, as well as many private organizations.