U Kuan Wai(1928 – 2014)
was also known as Man Fai and Hang Sam. His ancestral home was in Taishan, Guangdong Province and he was born in Macao. His father worked in shipping industry. U studied at the Chongshi School in Macao and the Fengcai Middle School in Taishan. He graduated from the Department of Journalism of the School of Arts at the Koumin University of Kwangtung. He later established some publishing houses in Hong Kong and took on the roles of editor, news editor and editor-in-chief in several newspapers, periodicals and magazines.
As a boy, he had learned painting methodically. His elder brothers taught him watercolour painting, and he liked depicting flowers, landscapes, insects and fish. In the 1950s, U learned painting under Situ Qi’s tutelage and learned from Deng Fen and Cheng Zhe. Meanwhile, he spent his spare time creating literary and artistic works. In 1960, he held a solo exhibition at the Hotel Central in Macao. He was selected to show at the sixth, seventh and eighth editions of the National Exhibition of Fine Arts.
A member of the Macao Basic Law Consultative Committee and of the Cultural Committee, he also took on the role of director of the World Association for Artistic and Cultural Exchange (Macao branch). In 1990, U was awarded the Medal of Cultural Merit by the Portuguese Macao Government. Six years later, in 1996, he held a solo exhibition at the former Leal Senado. His published works include the catalogue of the exhibition Retrospective of U Kuan Wai’s Paintings and Collection of Stamps . The artist passed away in Macao.