Nonagenarian Artist Hung Hsien's First Retrospective at Asia Society Texas Reveals Hidden Houston Treasure

At age 91, artist Hung Hsien received her first retrospective exhibition at Asia Society Texas in Houston, where she has lived for more than four decades. Curated by Owen Duffy, the show features works spanning from 1950 to 1999, including ink scrolls, oil paintings, sketches, and studies. Hung's artistic evolution reflects her peripatetic life across China, Taiwan, the United States, Hong Kong, and Canada. The earliest piece was created when she was 17 years old. Despite living just a block away from the museum, her presence was unknown to curators until now. During the exhibition walkthrough, Duffy repeatedly encouraged Hung to resume her artistic practice, though she declined each time. The chronological arrangement highlights decades of accumulated work, presenting a long-hidden local treasure to the public.