DANIEL WONG The Chen Art Gallery is located in Torrance,
housed in the Sunrider International building, and is open each
week, Tuesday through Thursday.
By Janet Nakano
Daily Bruin Contributor
Tucked away in a towering executive building, sprawled out over
nine acres of land, lies a hidden treasure of Chinese art and
artifacts.
Opening its doors last December, the Chen Art Gallery hides
inside the lofty Sunrider building in Torrance, featuring the
personal collection of the founder and owner of Sunrider
International, Dr. Tei Fu Chen.
Sunrider International is most commonly known for its herbal
products and business opportunities. However, with the opening of
the gallery, Chen creates a seemingly unusual addition to
Sunrider’s corporate office.
Yet, upon stepping inside the building, delicately crafted
Chinese art, such as silks and ivory, hang on nearly every wall,
and the oddity of a Chinese museum inside the Sunrider world
headquarters slowly disappears.
“The Chen Art Gallery reflects Tei Fu Chen’s
interest in, and appreciation of, fine art,” said Paul
McCabe, Senior Council of Sunrider International, during an
interview at the gallery.
Spending more than a decade fulfilling his passion of Chinese
art and antiques by collecting over 500 pieces dating as far back
as the Neolithic Era, Chen was compelled to share his collection
with the community. Curator Sophie Lin said Chen was interested in
sharing the Chinese culture with other Americans.
 DANIEL WONG The Chen Art Gallery features art and
antiques, which are a part of Dr. Tei Fu Chen’s personal
collection. With the addition of the gallery, the building now
consists of over 350,000 square feet ““ quite a difference
from Chen’s more modest beginnings. McCabe said Chen and his
wife, Dr. Oi-Lin, a Western medicine doctor, began formulating
herbal products and started their business from their home in Utah
in 1982, before relocating to Southern California in the late
’80s.
Chen is a well-known herbalist and pharmacist; together with his
wife, their company has flourished. Chen’s desire to
contribute to the community, however, has always been apparent.
“The Chens and the company believe that it’s
important to support the environment that you operate in and do
business in, and that applies not just here, but to all the offices
that we have,” McCabe said.
The Chen Art Gallery is only one example of Sunrider
International’s contribution to the community. The company is
part of the Torrance Chamber of Commerce’s adopt-a-school
program and is also planning an Earth Day cleanup at Torrance High
School.
With Sunrider International’s active involvement in the
community and in Chinese herbal medicine, an art gallery featured
in its world headquarters, which attempts to expose and uncover the
beauty of Chinese culture, doesn’t seem all that strange.
The gallery is a non-profit organization, completely free to the
public, and offers a guided tour of the exhibits. The tour includes
a short film providing interesting facts about Chinese history
““ demonstrating Chen’s and Sunrider
International’s desire to teach Chinese culture simply
because of its beauty.
Chinese civilization is one of the oldest cultures, with an
extensive, recorded history of which Chen has captured a good
portion. For example, a replica of a Qing Dynasty Imperial Throne
stands at the beginning of the exhibit, as well as a bedroom
setting that features furniture from the later Ming Dynasty. There
are also exhibits that highlight an exquisite collection of jade,
bronze, porcelain, ceramics and snuff bottles.
Snuff bottles were made of various materials, such as glass and
turquoise, and were meticulously painted, some even on the inside
surface of the bottles. The bottles add an interesting aspect to
the museum.
“The original snuff bottle came from Italy in the 18th
Century and was made as a box, but the box couldn’t keep the
powder dry, so the Chinese started a design of a bottle with a
cover and with a spoon to take out and smell the powder that was
inside,” Lin explained.
This powder “snuff” was actually finely ground
tobacco leaves fermented or fragranced by various aromas and was
thought to prevent colds and congestion.
“It wasn’t healthy,” Lin said. “It was a
habit like smoking.”
The unhealthy side to the history of the snuff bottle may be the
gallery’s only stray from Chen’s effort to promote
health.
The Chinese experience at the Chen Art Gallery would not be
complete without a visit to the botanical garden, situated on the
premises. It is here that Chen conducts continual research for his
herbal products.
A peaceful koi pond, small grassy hills, a winding path around a
greenhouse of carefully labeled herbs and a wall that resembles the
Great Wall of China, surround the garden, providing a full cultural
experience.
“There are not many Chinese museums here,” Lin said.
“There is LACMA and there is one in Santa Monica, but we are
the only one that has a private collection.”
With the lack of Chinese museums in L.A. County, the Chen Art
Gallery offers a way to experience and learn about Chinese culture
in an impressive setting.
ART: The Chen Art Gallery at 1625 Abalone Ave.
in Torrance is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Groups with five to 35 members are allowed guided tours only,
beginning on the hour. Call (310) 781-3808 for reservations.