19th Annual Papp Chinese Painting Seminar
April 23, 2026 |10:30 am–12:30 pm
Singer Hall
TICKETS: Free Admission
The year’s seminar features a contemporary focus on the life and work of Chinese American artist Hung Hsien, widely known in the U.S. as Margaret Chang. Chang's work is celebrated for its elegant fusion of traditional ink painting, meticulous brushwork, and elements of Abstract Expressionism.
We are honored to welcome B U.K. Li, the preeminent scholar on the artist and son of renowned art history professor Chu-tsing Li. Drawing from extensive interviews conducted with Chang over the past several years, Li will offer unique insights into her career and artistic practice. The presentation will feature a close look at three works by Chang from the PhxArt collection, alongside examples from other modernist painters who influenced her journey within the Chinese tradition.
About the Speaker
B U.K. Li, MD, is an Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology) at the Medical College of Wisconsin. A pioneer in the field, he established the first multidisciplinary pediatric Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Program at Lurie Children’s, treated over 1,200 children, and published more than 70 articles and guidelines. He is also a Past-President of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.
Beyond his medical distinction, B has been a lifelong advocate for Chinese art. Through his father, Professor Chu-tsing Li (the J.H. Murphy Distinguished Professor of Art History at Kansas University), B has known Hung Hsien for over 50 years. Acting as an “art nephew,” travel companion, and collector, he played a proactive role in her recent solo retrospectives at Asia Society Texas and Hong Kong. Today, he continues in his father’s footsteps by rekindling international attention on Chang's innovative abstract ink paintings.