Born in Xiamen, Fujian Provence in 1903 to a prestigious family, Teng-Hiok Chiu (Zhou Tingxu; also known as Teng Chiu) had the opportunity to study abroad from a young age.
By 1924 he had enrolled in the University of London, and in 1925 studied Western painting under the tutelage of Sir George Clausen, Sir Walter Russell and Charles Sims at the Royal Academy Schools. He became the first foreigner to be granted membership of the Royal Society of British Artists.
Chiu also trained at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and Paris, but he reached the turning point in his career when working alongside his mentor Laurence Binyon, a renowned Oriental scholar, in the British Museum in 1930. Working together they analysed many significant Chinese calligraphic works and paintings and it was from this point onwards that Chiu fused Eastern and Western artistic ideas and philosophy, to produce works with Chinese sensibilities and Western technique.
From 1930 Chiu travelled extensively through Europe, Africa and Asia, including his homeland Xiamen in China. During this trip Teng-Hiok Chiu depicted the lakes and mountains of his native land, and important architecture and monuments.
“Since I used to play amidst the beautiful temples and pine trees or on the sandy beach, I have wanted to appreciate the best in nature and to be able to help everyone else to do so."