ILLUSTRATED:

Chao Chung-hsiang Collection, Alisan Fine Arts Gallery, Hong Kong, 1992, color illustrated, no. 111, pp. 227-228

Chao retains the essence of western and eastern art in his artworks, forming a unique visual style. He has special emotions for "ink" in eastern art and believes that innovating Chinese art should be in promoting the core of tradition, that is, the ink painting. When Chao was residing abroad in New York in late 1950, western abstract art was in full bloom. He saw western masters of Abstract Expressionism innovate their works by gaining inspiration from eastern calligraphy and ink painting. This prompted his studies on ink and applying ink to his art. Chinese splash-ink painting, broken ink, and Pollock's drip and splash had certain influence on Chao. After the 80s, his style become more free and unrestrained, expressing the spirit of pure abstract art.

The pivot of Chao's artwork does not deviate from mystical Taoism and philosophies of humanitarianism. From the elements of topics, images, and color, we can discern Chao's compassion. This work, "Gossiping", combines somber Chinese ink with bright acrylics, a drip-painting technique of the type used in Western abstract painting has been employed for the background; this technique is also similar to the "ink-splashing" free painting method sometimes used in traditional Chinese painting. The luminous green spirals, arranged in a line running down the picture, are like a string of pearls made up from individual roses. The effect is simultaneously classical and modern; its aesthetic appeal surpasses temporal or cultural boundaries. This is also the typical painting style of Chao.