Richard Zu Ming Ho is a beloved figurative impressionist whose work is known for its beauty and lyrical style. Greatly influenced by such French masters as Degas, Manet and Renoir, as well as American masters Sargent and Whistler, Ho has created his own style some say is ¦as fine as a poem, not merely a picture.²

Richard Ho was born in China in 1949. By his teens he was already accomplished in drawing, watercolor, still life, landscape, calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, and figure painting in the ¦western² style. But it was this last nod toward western art that landed Ho in a forced labor camp. For the next ten years the communist regime tried to break HoÃs spirit by depriving him of his art. But he kept his dream alive by visualizing paintings and memorizing images and hoping that, someday, he would be able to put them on canvas or paper.

HoÃs dream was realized in 1987 when he immigrated to the United States. Free to follow his talent, he began creating pieces rich with meaning and elegance. Today he combines a gentle touch with vivid color to produce works that uniquely celebrate the grace of the human body and the intimacy of our relationship with nature and the universe.

Despite his hardships, or maybe because of them, Ho continues to render a tenderness and intimacy with his subjects. ItÃs no wonder that collectors are so enthusiastic about this talented artist whose paintings are magically serene and energetic at the same time.