Zhenguo Tong

Mr. Tong has loved art since childhood, when his parents encouraged his natural talent. He published his first art work in a major Chinese newspaper at the age of 16. Mr.Tong went on to study oil painting and ink painting at Hebei University in China, and attended the graduate school program at China's premiere arts college, the China National Academy of Fine Arts. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1981, Mr.Tong was chosen to teach art at the prestigious academy. During his 11 years of teaching, Mr.Tong produced numerous works of art, entered national and international exhibitions, and was deeply interested in the comparison of eastern and western art.

In 1992, Mr. Tong was invited to come to the United States as a visiting scholar at the University of California Berkeley. There he researched Asian art, and also had the opportunity to give numerous lectures, demonstrations, and workshops at universities, museums, and art organizations from coast to coast. Four years after arriving in the US, Mr.Tong became a permanent resident through his qualification with the Immigration and Naturalization Service as an artist of "Extraordinary Ability". In 1998, he was invited by an oil portrait company to work for them on the east coast. His customers loved his work and he was in high demand among those who sought to commission oil portraits. Although this was fulfilling for a time, Mr.Tong increasingly felt a need to use his talents in ways he was not free to express.

In 1999, Mr. Tong was inspired to travel to New Zealand and the Cook Islands, where he encountered Polynesian people and cultures.  A seed was planted in his heart which would take root several years later.

In 2003, Mr. Tong left his job working for the portrait company and moved with his family to Hawaii, the northern boundary of Polynesia. This is the place where he could let his creativity flow freely. Hawaii seems like the natural place to present his eclectic art style and creatively capture the unique elements of Hawaiian and other Polynesian cultures.

Mr. Tong's artistic endeavors have brought him from China to America. His paintings successfully capture the spirituality and dignity of our common humanity.