Claire Chao
Claire Chao Chinese: traditional 趙芝潔, simplified 赵芝洁; born July 7, 1962 in Hong Kong) is a Chinese-American writer and author. She collaborated with her mother, Isabel Sun Chao (Chinese: traditional 孫樹瑩, simplified 赵孙树莹; born March 21, 1931 in Shanghai) on a family memoir, Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels. The idea for a memoir on life in pre-Communist Shanghai was sparked by Isabel Sun Chao's 2008 visit to the family home with her daughter. [1]
Biography[edit]
Chao is the daughter of Shanghai-born Raymond Chao (Chinese: traditional 趙梅溪, simplified 赵梅溪; 1923-2012), an advertising executive, and Isabel Sun Chao, cultural affairs specialist at the US Consulate General in Hong Kong. She attended Kennedy Road Junior School [2] Island School, and Hong Kong International School. She graduated from Princeton University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Highest Honors, in Art and Archaeology.[3]
Chao had focused her senior thesis at Princeton on the Qing dynasty landscape artist Wang Hui (Chinese: traditional 王翬, simplified 王翚; 1632-1717), and while researching Remembering Shanghai discovered a link to her grandfather, the collector Sun Bosheng (Chinese: traditional 孫伯繩; simplified 孙伯绳). In 2018, during Chao's 35th reunion, the Princeton University Art Museum mounted an exhibition of landscapes by Wang Hui and invited her to speak. [4]
Chao’s maternal uncle, Sun Shufen (Chinese: traditional 孫樹棻, simplified 孙树棻; 1932-2005) was a bestselling author of 55 books in China, including several based on their family, notably a triology about his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather: Baofashijia (1995), Fengyuyangchang (1996), and Baizhuzhichong (1997)[5]
Career[edit]
Chao spent 30 years working in luxury brand marketing in Asia, including at Hill & Knowlton, where she was Manager in Beijing [6] and Group Manager in Hong Kong (1983-1989) [7]; management roles at Tiffany and Co. in Hong Kong [8] and Honolulu, concluding with Regional Vice President—Pacific (1990-1999)[9]; and Senior Vice President—North Asia at Burberry Asia Limited (2002-2004). Since 2000, Chao’s Honolulu-based marketing consultancy CHAO, LLC has served clients such as Harry Winston, LVMH and CIRCA.[10]
Chao was named to the Hong Kong Tatler “500 List” of “Who’s Who in Hong Kong” (Hong Kong, 1994, 1995 and 1996), Avenue magazine’s “500 Most Influential Asian Americans” (New York, 1996-1997 and 1997-1998), and the Elite Who’s Who “America’s Outstanding Female Executives” (Palm Bay, FL, 1999-2000).
Remembering Shanghai[edit]
Published in May 2018, Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels covers five generations of the Sun family. [11] Themes include intergenerational relationships within affluent Chinese families in the pre-Mao era and the pressures on wealthy famili[12]es in Shanghai during the Communist rise to power and subsequent victory. [13]
Remembering Shanghai is being adapted into a drama series [1] with producer Corey Tong [14].
In 2018, Remembering Shanghai won two Independent Author Network awards: Outstanding Memoir and Nonfiction Book of the Year, second place[15]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 McHugh, Fionnuala, “Growing up in 1930s Shanghai: Hongkonger’s memoir of soirees, school days, a shooting and some Black Swans,” South China Morning Post, December 9, 2017. [1]
- ↑ Staff writer, Dragon Tales, “Class Notes,” Hong Kong, Hong Kong International School, Winter 2017, retrieved 14 September 2018. [2]
- ↑ Staff writer, “A Bright Future for Claire,” Hongkong Standard, July 7, 1983
- ↑ May 2018, Princeton University Art Museum, “Gallery Talk: Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels,” PUAM, accessed 17 September 2018.
- ↑ Wu, Gabriel, February 2012, “The ‘Home Affairs’ of Three Hong Kong-Based Shanghainese Writers,” SOS II, pp 283-286.
- ↑ (1) “Hill and Knowlton Grows with China,” Asialink, February 1987.
- ↑ (1) Daswani, Kavita, “Living for the Luxury of a Roof-Top Flat,” Sunday Morning Post, April 2, 1989.
- ↑ (1) Glain, Steve, “Some in Hong Kong See the Future, and Want It to Work,” International Herald Tribune, October 15, 1990 Townsend, Caroline, “At Home with Claire Chao,” Home Journal, April 1991 Montilla, Dende, “Tiffany Plugs into Corporate Gift-Giving,” Executive, February 1993 “Single Bright Females,” Hong Kong Tatler, June 1993 Wong, Nancy, “A Sea Change,” Sunday Morning Post Magazine, September 5, 1993 Marray, Shelagh, “Power Breakfasts at Tiffany’s,” Eve, November 1993 Arnold, Pauline, “Tops at Tiffany,” Premier, January 1994 Princeton Alumni Weekly, Class Notes, April 6, 1994 Donovan, Roberta, “Queen of Diamonds,” Hong Kong Business, January 1996.
- ↑ “Hawaii Pacesetters,” Pacific Business News, March 17, 1997 Princeton Alumni Weekly, Class Notes, April 16, 1997 “Diamonds, Naturally,” B magazine, September 1997 “Bishop Street,” Hawaii Business, October 1997.
- ↑ Pan Tianhui, December 6, 2017, 望族女兒耗時10年 為母留住舊上海大時代回憶 [This daughter spent 10 years capturing her mother’s memories of old Shanghai], Hong Kong Economic Journal, accessed 18 September 2018.
- ↑ Kason, Susan B., September 18 2018, “Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels by Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao,” Asia Review of Books, accessed 19 September 2018. [3]
- ↑ https://www.independentauthornetwork.com/2018-book-of-the-year-winners.html
- ↑ Kanagaratnam, Tina, March 5 2018, “Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Socialites, Scholars and Scoundrels”, Historic Shanghai, accessed 19 September 2018. [4]
- ↑ [5]
- ↑ https://www.independentauthornetwork.com/2018-book-of-the-year-winners.html
External Links[edit]
Remembering Shanghai Official website
Berger, John, "On the scene with Claire Chao," Honolulu Star Advertiser, May 6 2018.
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