Putting it together

Collage artist takes his work to a big scale in his 70s as he looks back on what he learned fromhis father, Lin Qi reports.

When Michael Chow appeared at a public talk in Beijing on Jan 22, the owner of the Mr Chow restaurant chain didn't say a word about his catering empire. Rather, he spoke about his paintings and the enlightenment he has gotten from his father, Zhou Xinfang (1895-1975), the Peking Opera legend.

Chow, who looked much younger than his 76 years, wore his trademark round glasses with bold, black frames. He left his favorite custom Hermes suit in the hotel, arriving instead in a T-shirt and jeans dotted with paint splotches.