Twined flower is a kind of folk craft arts in Taiwan. It’s highly associated with the living and ritual activities. However, the advance of technology expedites the disappearance of traditional hand craft by machines. Twined flower art was almost lost but fortunately being saved by the government registering as a critical traditional craft in 2010.

Twined flower is a format that uses silk, iron wire and paper with skills of cutting, winding, twisting and tying to make various decoration and patterns. Twined flower has different names in different areas. In southern area, it’s named as “Spring Flower”. Mostly in red, twined flowers are made for wedding occasions with auspicious blessings and served as symbols of family status. In hakka area, twined flowers are more widely used with vivid colors and dynamic patterns. They could be in pairs on the shrine tables for religious rituals or hair accessories for women and girls. In Kinmen, twined flowers are called “Ji-hwa (auspicious flower)”with simple styles in mainly red and golden colors for weddings as well as funerals.

Ms. Chen Hui-Mei indulges her career in twined flowers for over 20 years, saving and promoting this traditional art. She is designated as the national master. The exhibition includes works from Ms. Chen and her 12 outstanding students. The exhibits demonstrate the delicacy of twined flower techniques not only in traditional deliveries but also innovative presentations.

Now is the time of spring with blossoms of flowers. Sincerely invite everyone in touch with this beautiful traditional art and Taiwanese culture - twined flowers.

“Thunderstrike Wood” is special and mysterious in Nature. These trees are the fortunate chosen one. The essence of lightning is condensed at the moment, and the trees grasp the magical power so as to protect itself from evil spirits. Gold is the color of the son with magnificent shades, representing nobility, brightness and hope. This collection of works is inspired by the concept of “thunderstrike wood” and “golden radiance”.

I try to capture the toughness how trees react to the striking thunders and storms. With the rhythm of flowing ink, the golden radiance is injected into the wood, enlightening hope of life. Every stroke of paintings is my solute to thunderstrike woods in awe of Nature. My works are more about the sacred strength behind the painting. Like the speaker of Nature, these thunderstrike woods convey the essence of thunder. Along with my paintings of landscape, the audience would experience the delicacy of Nature and resonate with the poetic imagery of “Thunder and the Landscape, Golden Radiance Striking Upon the Ink”.

This exhibition extends the concept of the duo exhibition “Interpretation of Curved Surface” in Taoyuan in 2020. Each artist interprets individual perspective of “surface” by ceramic artworks and fabric patterns. “With Forest ・With Water” at Formosa Pearl is an exhibition to share the feeling and variation happening in these three years.

Space and time of living dramatically varied after the outbreak of covid-19, resulting in subtle changes in interpersonal relationships. Various thoughts burgeoned. Inevitable doubts about the past, present and future bursted. Flows of idea mingled, sometimes clean but sometimes opaque. Nothing would be happier than living a simple life.

My ceramic artworks “Curved Surface by Cut” is my new expression of surface.

I moved to Fujiyoshita Shi （a city located in Yamanashi in Japan）by end of 2021, when the plague was fiercely ravaging. Life became quiet in such a small town famous for tourism and textile industry. Although the situation wasn’t fierce in rural area at all, people were fear to contact each other, compared with people in Tokyo. It seemed lonely, but more leisure time was available to get closer to the forest and lakes around the Fuji Mountain. The beauty of Nature is full of energy.

Following the exhibition of “Interpretation of Curved Surface” three years ago, this showcase involves three different collections of textiles with various patterns and printing skills and amazing works that I cooperated with fabric professionals in Fujiyoshita Shi.

Formosa Pearl Gallery is surrounded by rice fields in Yilan Jhuangwei. This exhibition is held by a group of pottery artists dedicated to art of clay in this golden autumn time.

Clay is a type of magical medium. It could be shaped only when it’s soft and then becomes hard when it’s dry. After the semi-product is under furnace of high temperature, it becomes even harder. Pottery artists are identifying themselves through such versatile properties and dynamics. Pottery production is so fascinating that it presents the existence of temperature and a sort of enthusiasm. However, it takes great physical efforts to create ceramic works upon various medium of art creation, not to mention carrying the heavy raw materials. Not just to sculpt the clay, plenty of knowledge is required to do ceramic artworks, including research of properties of clay and sculpting skills, use of glaze and the control of furnace. Uncertainties happen in each step and directly result in failures. A good work achieves without carefulness and patience.

13 pottery artists exhibit artworks in this exhibition, aging from 30s to 70s. Techniques and styles differ. Some presents the versatility of glaze, some presents the intangible outcome of charcoal furnace and some simply presents the possibilities of various types of clay. Works with realism and abstractionism are collectively presented. Ceramic artworks are mostly considered conveyers because of its empty inside, but actually they are more than conveyers. Fine art creations as well as practical utensils together are the best practice of the topic, “Borderless Expressions of Pottery”.

== 13 Artists ==

Chen Yuan-Shan/ Chien Chih-Ta/

Chiou Chien-Ching/ Huang Yu-Ying/

Hsu Hsu-Lun/ Hsu Ju/

Hsu Ming-Hsiang/ Lai Yi-Ting/

Lee Shan-Yin/ Lin Chen-Lung/

Peng Ya-Mei/ Wu Kun-Shan/

Yu Chung-Ping

With a strong resolution, Kuo Yan-Ya is fully indulged in arts and creation, not limited by traditions. She has not entered an art school, but her artworks tell the stories of life and experiences with accurate details and proper rhythms. As a female artist, she has talented sense in color and sentimental tenderness. Her works are warm and cozy like silk; graceful and energetic in expressions; honest and humble.

Kuo Yan-Ya industriously learns from the seniors and great Nature. She applies impressionism techniques to her paintings with metaphors and spirit of expressionism and good old memories. Beyond the shape, color, light and shadow of visible appearance, the paintings are the soliloquies of her mind.

The series, “Prosperity Knocking the Door”, represents a style of glory and nobleness. Moutan peony symbolizes gracefulness, richness, auspiciousness and prosperity. The flower pattern traditionally conveys happiness and hope. It’s large with elegant posture, strong color and fragrance. Along with the door knocker ring, a symbol of home, the paintings would like to deliver blessing to everyone’s home!

Yeh Fa-Yuan was born in Daxi, Taoyuan. He is talented for applying leather sculpture art to themes of nature and life, bringing vitality into cattle leather and making the figures vivid as real. “Art is rooted in lands and creativity comes from daily life” is the faith while Mr. Yeh creates his works. He is the first artist to win the first prize of National Crafts Achievement Award and several other international awards. His outstanding artworks represent modern leather art.

Mr. Yeh spent his entire life in leather art and becomes a master and pioneer in the field in terms of skills and knowledge of material. He has work collections including “Crabs”, “Mantis”, “Ants”, “Rural Life”, “Harvest”, “Happiness” and “Eagle Life”. The topics of ordinary insects and vegetables reflect the fun aspects of nature and the heartwarming human nature. A mixture of craftsmanship and humanity, his works tell the stories of the rural culture and reflect his affection for his homeland.

Yu Hong-Chang was born in Lotung, Yilan. He is fond of old pottery pieces, especially the utensils. Yu collects the old jars and also modern pottery artworks. Firstly as a beginner, he was inspired by his curiosity to learn how to make ceramic articles. Since 2002, his journey of clayworks making has started from the workshop of Mr. Tseng Tai-Yang.

His craving for chai kiln method burgeoned after a chance of introduction by Ms. Tu Pong-Hsuan. It’s a lifetime joy to make ceramics works out of pure interest, to build a kiln out of own design, and to share the knowledge and happiness of chai kiln method. Following instructions from the seniors, Yu Hong-Chang explores all the variables in the chai kiln process, specifically the use of fire. He is not afraid of failure but to considers failure could bring a unique style alternatively. Yu used to pursue furnace transmutation, accidental coloring and various effects with the high temperature in the chai kiln. Now he would rather embrace the beauty and essence of chai kiln ceramic works with an open mind. They are plain and simple but they have potentials. The fun future is ahead. It’s hard but joyful!

Yu plans to establish his own ceramics workshop and aims to build a smokeless chai kiln in a form of green building to spread the concept of eco-friendly into the fields of ceramics making. He will continue to attempt variables of temperature and time. Hopefully new styles of chai kilns would be coming soon.

When it comes to claborate-style painting, it is delicate, detailed, elaborate and elegant. Lines shape the forms with neatness and delicacy. Colors are layered in graceful, vivid and profound ways. Claborate-style painting is a long-lasting art form in Chinese history, which can be dated back to 2,000 years ago. They can be found in the decorating patterns of worship utensils, potteries and tomb paintings. At Song Dynasty (960-1279), claborate-style paintings reached the peak and continued to mix and innovate with exterior cultures, such as Mogao buddist arts, western aesthetics and perspective methodology and concepts developed from the Renaissance period.

Thanks to the technology and the convenient transportation, we can use the traditional natural pigments as well as GESSO and pigments for watercolor and acrylic paintings. Besides the plain paper, the canvas can be silk cloth, hemp paper or golden paper. With mingling of different pigments and papers, colors can be more dynamic, exquisite and sophisticated.

In more than 30 years of career in claborate-style paintings, Chiou Su-Mei studies the art pieces from the ancient masters and observe the Nature to explore inspirations and ideas. She is not limited to the tradition but challenging new possibilities in compositions, formats, perspectives, light and shades with techniques in ink splashing, pattern rubbing, gold outlining and batik dyeing.

Gratefully this exhibition is held at Formosa Pearl, an elegant place in greenery Yilan Plain. Hopefully it is a great opportunity to introduce Claborate-style paintings to more audience. Let's experience this beautiful art form in richness !

Three talented artists specialized in different media format met and present this “Three Pearls” exhibition. Ms. Tsou Heng-Te is a master of ink painting in flowers and birds. Ms. Chien Jui-Ying does traditional glue paintings with metal foil and mineral pigments. Her artworks layer dynamic colors and minerals with details and elegance. Ms. Lo Wei-Chun applies multimedia and visible objects to express aesthetics and emotional colors in her works. Three artists present a trio of exhibition at Formosa Pearl, each performs own uniqueness and enchantment.

Tsou Heng-Te plays with lines and stripes and emphasizes layers of stacks and space in terms of elasticity, thickness of ink and percentage of water. Her works are inspired by Nature. The surrounding flowers and palnts on roadside, the mountains and flowing waters, the animals and poultries are always on my mind and down on my works.

Chien Jui-Ying has a craving for Nature, representing her passion in painting. Covid-19 turns the world upside down and everyone’s life. Her positive thinking is reflected in artworks to soothe anxious minds. Emotions are all over the place in her art pieces. With details and temperate compositions, the tint style is elegant and energetic. Traditional glue paintings are the main exhibits. Layers of colors are made by stacks of mineral pigments, metal foils and gelatine.

Lo Wei-Chun introduces natural symbols as the major elements of visual expressions. Her emphasis in color performance to present uniqueness of individual and the resonance of vision and sensibility. The hallucination formed in the works that arouse the presence of time and space and the extremity of feelings.

Her topics are about the changes in animals and plants in seasons. Scenes of blossoms, reactions of parental affections and connections of emotions are honestly on the paintings to show respect for Nature. The intellectuality and sentiment of aesthetics are delivered with figurative expressions via skillful techniques of oil painting.

I moved back to Yilan about a year ago. The past has gone and became quiet and I am almost 60 years old. All the moments together witness my path of life. Time flies. Happiness and sorrow randomly occur and turn into tastes of life.

I escaped from Taipei city, a busy place where I started my studio and created many works. Win some and lose some. It’s difficult to reach the balance of life and dream and I was so confused. An unexpected accidence made me seriously consider my life, my family and what I want.

“Ich bin grün” is a German proverb. It means that people need place with plants by nature. After a long period staying in the city with buildings, I was so tired and decided to move back to my motherland, Yilan. Hopefully the simplicity and tranquility of countryside will arouse my innocence and initial dream of creating.

“SHI” means transplant in Chinese. I left my hometown when I was young, as a plant was moved to other place to grow. SHI GUANG, the times I worked hard and survived, fertilized my career and life. After the ups and downs, all I want is a simple and quiet life.

Now I live near the Lotung Park, with paddy fields and lotus pond aside. Incense sticks burn in a small temple and bell rings. The place is like a pure land in the human world. “SHI” is also a name of a plant, sometimes called “huei hsiang”. In Chinese words, “huei hsiang” sounds like “moving back to the motherland.” Good times will come and I’ll have an idyllic life with my family. The sunlight will light up my dark room and bring artistic inspiration. May we’ll have good SHI GUANG for the future as well as the past and enjoy happiness.

“Tian-Tsui : Kingfisher Feather Art” is the topic of this exhibition, aimed to present the luxury and graceful form of art and its connectivity with daily life. There are two parts in the exhibition: collection of boutique pieces and design works from Patty Wang.

Featuring kingfisher feathers, Tian-Tsui is a traditional craft skill used to make jewelry and ornaments. As the source is scarce, the works were mostly for royals and palace utensils. Two raely-seen boutique items are exhibited, displaying the elegant style from the palace of ancient China. Upon the glittering feather, the extravagant but low-key of Eastern Arts shine.

“Tian-Tsui 10-leaf screen” is a boutique piece from Qing Dynasty. The screen is framed with quality red sandalwood. Each leaf is an individual snapshot of Old Summer Palace. 10 leaves together become a scenic landscape. The piece is delicately designed and skillfully made. The black sand land is centered in the middle. The tian-tsui is decorated as mountains, lake, grassland, trees, pavilions and architecture decorations. The glamorous blue feathers along with the black sand land flicker like sparkles on the water. Along with the gold beads, the screen is a classic treasure, precious and lavish.

Besides the boutique items, Patty Wang also presents her tian-tusi design collection. She redesigned old tian-tsui jewelry with modern ideas and her unique aesthetic sense. Descending from eastern culture and history, the works refine with contemporary look and confident spirit.

Born in a poor rural family, I headed for Taipei for living at 16 years old. Time went by but my obsession with homeland never diminished. Memories in youth emerged from time to time.

I built my business when I was young. Due to limited income, my leisure activities were to collect stamps with postmark from discarded envelopes and put in albums. Gradually stamp collecting became my interest, satisfying my desire to collect. With some experiences, I started to collect new stamps released by the Post Office. Among various topics and patterns, I like the folktale series the most. Perhaps in the process of stamp collecting, these stories behind just soothe my homesickness as an immigrant in the city.

A retrospect of my career in manufacturing business, I did not move my investment to China in the 80s and 90s as most of competitors did. Instead, I stayed in Taiwan and developed further. I established a factory in my hometown, Yilan, to boost local employment. And then Formosa Pearl was founded on the land where I planted crops when I was a kid, now a place to promote fine foods, tea, and art. My mission is to make Yilan home to cultural and creative business.

Initially an outsider, I learn to comprehend the field of art increasingly as I get involved in and exchange ideas with professionals. Particularly, the antique carving pieces interested me. The delicate works are magnificent and tell the story of time. In such an age when light bulbs, electrical tools and computer graphic software were unavailable, the artisans created the pieces purely by hands from scratch. They shaped the stories with characters, plants, animals on the materials. The delicacy of tiny hairs, twigs, and wrinkles on texture speaks the effort and persistence that had been put to the artworks. The nameless craftsmen had long been gone but their spirits to pursue the ultimate beauty persist. I would like to share these cherished collections with you in the exhibit and hopefully you would feel moved as I do. Welcome and appreciate your advice!

Chinese ink painting has long been represented the eastern art, with its profound cultural heritage. However, the tide of western art prevails, driving people away from Chinese ink painting that is considered old-fashioned. This artistic form originated from our culture and history is somehow close but unfamiliar. Nowadays, it’s hard for people to accord with the mental state how these paintings were created by Chinese ancestors.

I try Chinese ink paintings in a challenging and subversive way. The skill is traditional, but it’s possible to express emotions in modern society.

My works are split into two styles. One is meticulous figure painting with contemporary elements. Imagine that a modern object appears in a traditional artwork. It reflects a sense of humor and conflicts, whereas uncertainty and confusion also co-exists.

The other style is landscape painting by dry dark ink. These works are inspired from my life experience and observation, the beautiful landscapes of subtropical forests, mountains and ocean around Taiwan. It’s a slow process for me to create a work, but it’s also a method of introspection, deeply contemplating the relation of myself and the universe.

Chen Bao-Yun was a housewife before she was 40. Thanks to an introduction from her friends, Ms. Chen attempted Chinese ink paintings. Fully indulged, she started with Buddhist paintings and became skillful. The wrinkles of clothes, shade of light and flow of water look just right to the point. Ms. Chen was further led to meticulous flower-and-bird paintings with sufficient training. Finally Chen Bao-Yun went to Dong-Hai University and studied Japanese-style paintings. With enlightenment of many masters, she builds a strong foundation in paintings and artistic creations.

One time Chen Bao-Yun went to Ying-Ge, center of pottery and ceramics arts of Taiwan, she was so fascinated with the beauty of porcelain paintings to set off determination to such type of art. The excellent tactics in ink painting and color matching identify her unique style. Ambitiously Ms. Chen embeds rhinestones and paints gold outlines onto the surface of the porcelain, introducing “Jewel Porcelain”. The elements we consider eternity such as porcelain, rhinestones, gold, colored glass or raden are combined and glamorously presented. “Jewel Porcelain” is patented and internationally awarded. Her elegant and fancy porcelain works are not only attractive but also leading a new path of Taiwan’s porcelain art besides the style of ancient Chinese palace.

In our lives, we struggle to find our footing, our identity. In this struggle, we find ourselves, we find the answers to the how what where when and who. I came to Taiwan with an idea to relax and find the next chapter of my own search. Instead, the world changed, drastically. Brought to its knees by an invisible aggressor, our own modern day, plague. Stranded by airlines that refused to return my trip home, I found myself, as an artist, questioning everything.

What is important? Who are we? How can these things go so wrong?

I endured my own personal losses. I lost my best friend, my Taiwanese tuguo, family members and friends. I felt deeply saddened. Living in Yilan,I found having the easy access to the beach, the vastness of the pacific ocean, befriending the local stray dogs and ascertaining my own fragile moment of finding myself in the big swirl of the universe that has led me to living in this moment, right here, right now, a new found self discovery.

“I Am, who I am”.

Within this body of work, for this exhibit, I have poured my emotions into. Not everything is perfect. Not everything is a failure. It is a reflection of who I am. The accidental connections we find in our lives that carry us through to the next chapter of living, lends itself to new hopes and horizons. It is with a positive outlook that I hope the natural world around us will help to forward us into a better situation and future.

Born in Yilan in 1961, Lin Tsung-Ming is a professional paintist with lyrical and nostalgic emotions on his motherland, Taiwan. Mr. Lin has a formal education path in arts with a MFA degree. Affection for homeland is so robust that becomes the main topics of his artwork. Mr. Lin attempted styles in idealism, abstractionism and Chinese ink and finally dedicates to realistic method. His painting works are approachable that touch audiences. Via the painting brush, the unspoken emotions reveal the essence of life and the plainness and toughness of land.

For wanderers, homeland is always obsessed in mind. The open green area in Northeast Coast and the city with paddy fields reflecting blue sky accumulate profundity and familiarity of life. The magnificent landscape and boundless ocean demonstrate endurance and courage to face challenges. The dynamics of colors and light shades deliver vigorous images and thoughtful meanings with full-hearted genuineness.

Mr. Lin applies realistic techniques to paintings of actual nature beauty in Taiwan. The memories of peaceful idyllic countryside and farm scenery of Lanyang Plain are the theme in this exhibition. The paintings are also telling simple and pure folk styles. Lin Tsung-Ming uses western painting skill to convey the spirit and toughness of Taiwan.

My career in art has been for half century. It’s a tough path along the way, especially for the field of traditional ink paintings.

Traditional arts require accumulation of generations. Techniques and concepts gradually refine and become the culture. However, the traditions and theories face challenges. Western tactics overwhelm. Paintings from China flood in Taiwan market and the unique Taiwanese styles disappear little by little.

Many people bring the inferior artworks from China and sell. It’s a serious cultural invasion. The Taiwanese painters find it’s hard to survive. The original styles fade away. Thus, I stand out to protect our culture in traditional ink painting. My strength is weak, but I try to point out the problem through the exhibition. Hopefully the audience could encourage the Taiwanese artists with supports.

Pottery artworks of Hsu Ming-Hsiang are about folk culture in Taiwan. Her creation captures the traditional life styles of ancestors, mingling with memories and emotions of old houses. Starting with vernacular architectures, Hsu transforms the elements of buildings into realistic symbols and modern shapes. The bricks and roof tiles could be harmoniously presented with interior design and living utensils, glowing with the profound culture in Taiwan.

Lee Shan-Yin attempts to attract young generation to understand tea culture in an acceptable and beautiful way. She asks the audience to relate the artworks to personal experience and the connection becomes a part of the exhibits. The viewer could be more active while participating in an exhibition. In a tea setting, the teapot pad is the foundation like the Mother Earth that carries every item. The tea ware symbolizes objects that we encounter every day. Points, lines, planes and all other elements form patterns and symbols. As every one has various individual life experience, the way people perceive the artwork would be different.

Different human cultures nourish arts with distinctive attributes, and, in the process of artistic development, yield depictive signals. Zao Wou-Ki ever stated: "Everybody is bound by tradition, and I have two." Reminiscent of my life experience, I feel that there were exactly two old traditions that kept myself restrained. First, my artistic enlightenment originated from my childhood and was well founded on Chinese painting and calligraphy. Second, I have ever lived overseas, including San Francisco, New York, and London, for more than a decade. The experience enabled me to be deeply immersed in authentic western culture. Ever since, I have started to contemplate the interrelationship between my self- existence and artistic expression.

As a consequence, the series of my creation for "Odyssey" mainly employs the western media to interpret my inner oriental scenario and affection. As Jackson Pollock said, "I am nature." In light of this, as I was involved in my creation, I viewed my body as a medium and let my subconscious feeling be revealed to the fullest, followed by connecting he power of outer world so that my body can turn out to be a physical body that could be loaded with power, just like the pen conducting its writing on the canvas. Only by doing this can I seek the authenticity of my inner heart, namely Odyssey, mingling my heart with the origin of the universe. Hence, my creative process can be referred to as an action, a performance and an intuitive performance on the canvas like the springing tableau of stream of consciousness. Based on a comprehensive perception upon my previous creations, ranging from seeking the balance of points, lines and surface inside the tableau, and that of colors and layers to the transition of cadence and the sense of speed, a facet of spiritual atmosphere was created. In other words, each piece of works corresponds to a universe of soul.

The ample diversity of this world truly lies in the variation of races, languages, cultures, and social organizational structure, making each person's life experience different. Nowadays, the space of movements for humans covers the whole world; eastern and western people are in possession of varied concepts under the different culturalbackgrounds. As it turns out, the repercussion and creativity have showcased their power. The series of creations for "Odyssey" is centered on oriental calligraphic lineal signals derived from big Chinese culture, added with my overseas living experiences and studying abroad, thus blended with creative terminologies of western materials which exhibit the contemporary oriental essence.

The series of creations for "Odyssey" is in effect a process of a new self-recognition, and the contemplation as to what the self-existence. is as well as the interrelationship between self- existence and artistic expression. Since nine years old, I have started to learn handwriting. In my academic career, the research and learning of calligraphy and painting, along with my overseas study career and living experiences, served as the genuine nutrients for my self-existence, rather than having a restraint from both oriental and western cultures. The coherent calligraphic lines were used to capture the ephemeral emotional expression, an expression that belongs exclusively to Chin Wu's self-expedition and subconscious status inside his inner world, just like a laparoscope. This creation is somewhat different from those previously created works in which I made use of my eyes to perceive the outer landscapes throughout the world. Like Kao Gern-Chen said, "I close my eyes for the sake of seeing things." "What I want to see is what is called inner view existing in my heart."

The series of creations of "Odyssey" stands. for one-time-performance of Zen's effect by using the feeling of interactive performance between lines and empty soul, added with intertwined oriental Zen and calligraphy. Apart from that, different techniques were employed to showcase different stages of mindsets and inner views. in order to be in connection with the saturated author and the viewers' feelings. Buttressed by the black lines from my memory, the tableau has been ceaselessly constructed and dismantled.

"Odyssey" is literally an approach of deduction, annihilating those insignificant things from our current life, and simultaneously returning to the initial creative objective of my inner heart and recognition of identity, such as asking "who am I?", "what is my value in this world?" and "what is my objective?" Those addressed questions. with reference to my own life correspond to the meaning of my self-existence. Thus, I have made use of my joy of learning calligraphy as well as the self-fulfillment of my academic career and sharing experiences to display my own process, using artistic form to pass on and substantiate the interrelationship between self-existence and artistic expression. The blankness left on the tableau also ns involving the main theme of returnir the infinity of possibility of my personal life.

The content of "Odyssey" points directly at the current inner origin, immersing myself in the meditation of conscious and subconscious border, with the existence of the image of surrealism and the stream of lines of colors, and stepping into a focused space where time seems stagnant. I also engaged in putting down the record the trace left by the power of depicting life. Each piece of the works serves as each time slice of the author's life, which is unique but the awakening awareness toward all the things in his life, experiencing all kinds of tastes of life, masks, roles, positive conviction, subconscious apprehension of darkness, perfection and completeness, which, whether distinguishable and ineffable, are the experience of transformation for inner mood. The entire series, by virtue of the accumulated images of oil paint, mixed media, and slight sprayed collage on the canvas featuring ample layers, freely delineates Chin Wu's opulent artistic terminologies.

“An Art Farm” exhibition is presented by artists Lai Mei-Huei, Chang Jun-Hsiung and Pan Jing-Jui.

These three artists are also outstanding educators serve in Yilan and nourish potential students interested in arts and awarded in national contests. Pan and Chang are award winners of Outstanding Teacher Award in Yilan. Lai established “DALI Aesthetic space and Art studio” and offers arts education to all walks of life, children and adults.

Besides arts education, the three artists dedicate to art creation continuously. They keep the faith and enthusiasm in arts and they are friends and mentors to each other.

This exhibition, “An Art Farm”, includes the best collection of their artworks. Hopefully these pieces would be appreciated at beautiful Formosa Pearl Gallery. Greatly welcome everyone to come and enjoy the wonderful art farm.

Li Zi-Ching, Chen Yu-Jung and Weng Ya-Hui are class mates at graduate school. In this exhibition, three artists create their artworks in multiple fields of arts to express the inner spirit through symbols such as historic houses; sea and mountains; goddess Guanyin; dreams; and positive imaginations. Works in this exhibition are like the reflections on the mirror of heart, which ripple as the artists pursue the desire and meaning of life.

Li Zi-Ching is a slim female artist but is capable of creating stone sculptures with heavy machinery. For more than 20 years, he has been invited to international sculpture festivals. Her works are profound with wisdom of life and religion. Li enjoys the beauty and peaceful state of mind while creating.

Chen Yu-Jung emphasizes her works in emotion and expression. Starting in 2015, she is interested in the relationship of dream, positive imagination and self-inspection. It is believed that frustration and individualization are personal while collective subconscious plays a role for every one. Dream and positive imagination are like the mind mirror. While the viewer watches the mirror, thoughts and self stories burgeon.

Weng Ya-Hui concerns what nature means to human and the relationship of nature and human. She uses the concept of “living” to represent the connection of human and the environment; and observes the change in appearance of human activities with impact on nature.

“Dan Qing” stands for red and blue pigments in Chinese paintings. The term also represents historical documents and eternity in mandarin.

The profound meaning of Dan Qing speaks for my strong resolution to paintings. In my art career, I have teachers and instructors company, who inspire me to move forward and create.

At the age of 40, I name this exhibition “A Tribute to Dan Qing” in thanks for the instructions from so many people. They are teachers Nuan Ching, who led me into Chinese painting; Chang Mu-Tsun, Wang Hsiang-Hsun, Chou Cheng, Lin Hai-Chung, Chao Hsiu-Huan, and Jin Nah – my doctoral advisor. The road ahead is uncertain and tough, but thanks to their advice and encouragement, each of my step becomes stable and solid. They are benefactors in my life, treating me with care and insight. I am stronger and better.

This exhibition is focused on works of heavy colors in topics of Taroko in Taiwan and Tai-Hang Shan in China. I have visited and witnessed these beautiful landscapes with my eyes. I was so moved to keep the memories into paintings. This time I applied colors to my artworks, heavy and light. It feels like the ink and pigments are faithful and close friends to me. Together we accomplish various works. We are inseparable.

The name of the exhibition, “A Tribute to DAN QING”, is also a reminder. Chinese painting becomes my lifetime pursuit after it was first introduced to my world by teacher Nuan Ching. In the name of DAN QING, I will have my best practice and not let anyone down.

Some retired and do nothing. Some retired, travelling and playing with grandchildren. Mr. Chang Jhen-Ching is not someone like this. He started pencil sketching after retirement and develops a unique style in arts.

Pencil sketch has been considered the foundation of arts, but most artists do not take it seriously. However, Mr.Chang is dedicated to pencil sketch. In the beginning, it took one day to accomplish a piece. Becoming demanding about the details, he now takes at least 100 hours before a work could be completed. “Arts are not a running game. It’s not about how fast you can create a work but about the quality you deliver.” Mr. Chang explains about his devotions to his works.

Mr. Chang is trying to explore the extremity of pencil sketch, with an attitude beyond people’s understanding. His artworks are solely created with pencils but the quality and the beauty speak for his phenomenal aesthetic sense. It’s the realm of reality that cannot be completely captured by human eyes. More than a realism artist, Mr. Chang Jhen-Ching has his own perspective and concept that shape distinguished techniques.

To paint in a decent way is the essence of being an artist. I treat my work as if it were life. Every stroke, every color and every pattern should be carefully considered so that the artwork metophorizes profound meaning, purity of soul and depth of life. As a result, the viewer could be enlightened, relieved, impressed and moved. I’ve been working hard creating and writing calligraphy with this principle for over 30 years. From past to future, my attitude stays. I devote myself to the canvas.

The beauty of SHAN-SHUI includes the mountains, the rivers, the forests and the clouds in Nature. The writers and poets in history created the unique culture of Shan-Shui with their talents and wisdom. It is said that “a true man loves mountains and a wise man loves the sea.” The shan-shui paintings enlighten people to discover the universe. Humans are tiny and such understanding is transcribed into artworks that represent the relationship of human and Nature.

For the shan-shui painters, the artworks are spiritual sustenance for those who are craving for an idyllic lifestyle. More than visual presence, the gorgeous mountains and rivers also stand for life and spirit, “Chi” in Chinese saying. For long, painters live in Nature. By physically exploring and learning from the wisdom of ancestors, they figure out the rhythm in Nature and express via pen and ink. From generation to generation, shan-shui paintings are nurtured with philosophical inspirations with refined aesthetics and open mind.

Shan-shui painters consider beauty strongly connected with Nature. In Song Dynasty (960 – 1279), painters explored the philosophy of “contentment”. The topic of “journey”, beyond time and space, conveys the immortality of life. The legendary painter, Shih-Tau (1641-1707), travelled and sketched just to capture dynamic perspectives of mountains. Painters apply inner practice through experience and observation. While the mental and physical states reach a balance, the pure elements could be extracted. Thus, the realm of forms achieves.

The imagery of shan-shui is beyond the scope of visual sensibility and the format of life. The objects in the paintings are firstly observed in the eyes of the painter and kept in mind. With years of experience and practice, spontaneously the momentum of creativity drives the will to paint. To learn and continue to move forward, I will keep the very beginning resolution with persistence in my art career. Staying with Nature, I will paint to entertain myself and to cultivate my temperament tirelessly.

The Colored Glass Door to Volitional Action and Consciousness

It’s the phase of liquid in eternity, like the changing life without an anchor. It’s an absolute value but transforming as time flies. It accepts the change of flow and encounters the state of clarity, ambiguity, transparency and darkness. The journey of life is dizzy and dazzling with lustrous colors. It could be clear like tender breeze but could be obscure like a star in the far end of universe. Let’s try to comprehend ourselves and slowly walk forwards in the colored glass, which flows constantly.

The artworks of Jian Han-Ching are frameless that connect your vision to your lightful soul. The imagination and observation of audience differ. Valuable artistic interpretation burgeons as a result. We shall care about the land we’re living with objective stance, protecting and transforming the dynamics into inspiration of arts. We shall not deprive of resources for short-sighted benefits. I believe that God exists in every mountain, delivering messages from heaven. We shall respect Mother Nature in awe, treating the environment well. So that the cycles of living creatures will continue to move on and on.

With a strong resolution, Kuo Yan-Ya is fully indulged in arts and creation, not limited by traditions. She has not entered an art school, but her artworks tell the stories of life and experiences with modest but accurate details. Kuo’s painting style is never dramatic. As a female artist, she prefers to capture pieces of memory, depicting her daily life and trips with sharp observation, talented sense in color and sentimental tenderness. Her works are warm and cozy like silk; graceful and energetic in expressions; honest and humble to explore. She continues to grow and shape her unique identity.

Kuo Yan-Ya loves to paint, industriously learning from the seniors and great Nature. She applies impressionism techniques to her paintings with metaphors and spirit of expressionism. The topics include early settings of good old agricultural era and natural scenery of mountains and waters. Reflecting Kuo’s pursuit in art career, her artworks are free without boundaries and filled with cheerful colors. Beyond the shape, color, light and shadow of visible appearance, the paintings are the soliloquies of her mind.  

The blending of culture nurtures civilization. The folk activities shape the life and attitudes of people. Beauty and sorrowfulness burgeon and influence generation to generation.

When I was a kid, I liked to watch the parade and outdoor traditional drama in the religious festival. The dynamic carvings and colors of the temple construction attracted my attention. Animals and fishes in my life becomes my inspiration to create. I use multiple materials such as ceramics, paintings and flotsam, to represent my visual vocabulary. Elements in plain and dimension do not contradict. I have plans for every artwork. My paintings start with normal colors. Then they harmoniously spread and mix with human’s eyes. My ceramic works keep the original color of earth and its flexibility of extension with unique spatial concepts. Realism and Abstractionism coexist to discuss the essence of life and inheritance in depth. 

Teng Shan-Chi’s career in stone carving creation lasts for more than 30 years. The interaction with stone materials is a practice to shape not only the physical appearance but also the inner state of mind. Both aspects continuously change and influence each other. It’s a process of discovery, deepening the thoughts and generating mind power. Meanwhile, along with the guidance of Buddhism, Mr. Teng advances his perspective to observe the world. It requires mediation to inspire the spirit. An intangible energy will motivate and soothe a heart of darkness and disorientation. The creation of stone carving is a method to putting down the status of being moved and realizing. While creating, Teng Shan-Chi is also practicing Buddhism to achieve Zen on the move.

Wu Ying-Jie is inspired by Buddhist gods and arhats as the topic of this exhibition. With a combination of folk tales and spoken stories, Mr. Wu applies the techniques of color ink painting and use simple outlines to depict the expressions and personalities of the characters. The eyes, gestures and bodies are not much emphasized whereas the characters’ emotion and mood are delivered by the arrangement of surrounding environment. 

Teng Shan-Chi and Wu Ying-Jie, the artists, were classmates in graduate school and both lives Hualien now. The exhibition mingles 2D and 3D dimensional artworks to convey this profound and philosophical topic. It’s going to be a sensational feast of art. 

The Delicate Art of Ancestors’ Housewares and Farming Tools

I like to collect wooden antiques. Besides the beautiful woodgrain, each piece conveys a flash of time, culture and heartwarming stories. In this exhibition, the exhibits are mostly home utility items in our ancestor’s daily life. They are artworks as well as crafts, which were hand-made and accomplished by rudimentary tools under tough conditions. The craftsman needed to consider not only the functionality but also the design and social status of the owner. Therefore, passing the test of time and aesthetic standards, the works deserve to be collected. 

When it comes to spring festival, I feel a strong connection with the old traditions. Taking this opportunity, I would like to share my collections from these years. They are home utilities and agricultural devices, including baskets and containers for various purposes. With delicate carvings, handwoven bamboo patterns or calligraphy and drawings, each piece comes with decorations that serves the owner properly. Time has passed but the excellent dexterity and wisdom remain. Here I would like to pay tribute to the craftsmen and honor their works. Hopefully you will enjoy this exhibition and have a wonderful Chinese new year. 

Wu Kun Shan used to be a wood sculptor. In 1988, he began his interest in ceramic art and, in 1990, established a studio. He has been dedicated to ceramic creations for 30 years.

It took Wu Kun-Shan years to study glaze and methods of clay sculpting. As a result, twig-swirling and color-dripping were innovated as his iconic techniques. He swirls clay twigs and shapes forms; and he mixes up clay slip with glaze and squeezes the solitude into a pipette so that the colors onto the artwork look more dimensional and attractive.

Wu Kun-Shan is interested in topics of Taiwanese traditions and folk customs. His ceramic artworks are created to express his passion for the land, including topics such as temple activities, aboriginal cultures, countryside scenery and daily occurrence. He has collections of works about tung blossom and interesting fairy tales. His style is unique and versatile: the art creations reflect his thought and creativities, and the ceramic utensils are created to make our life elegant. Wu Kun-Shan also attemps various media. He plays with graphic prints, metalworking and glass art. The work, Sounds of Dragon and Phoenix, combines ceramic art with instrument – an example to illustrate his boundless creativities and innovation.

Wu Kun-Shan is being nurtured by Nature and inspired by the rhythm of living and society. Continuously he creates and pursues his dream step by step.

Life is precious but fragile. Life is romantic but mysterious like riddles. Life is forgettable even if we try hard to memorize; it’ll disappear and be buried for good. Life is short with limited span of one hundred years. The forgotten memory will someday be impossible to recall and decipher. The fact is an inevitable destiny. This exhibition is named as “A Journey of Memories” to connect arts to past recollections. The realistic objects in the paintings are extensions of mysterious lives. Pieces of images explain life and death. The collection includes my inspirations and memories of trips to China Mount Huangshan in 2005-2007 and to Taiwan Northeast Coast in 2011-2013. The scenic and blurred moments were allowed to recall in the procedures of drawing. Landscape paintings create the communication between scenery and human beings. Emotions and wills could never be isolated. The objects strongly relate to feelings and trigger the innermost negative sentiments for those being gone in time and space. It’s desperately hurt.

Landscapes will disappear. Memories will disappear. And so humans will disappear. Ultimately, the paintings will someday disappear. The flowing time, the shifting space, and the changing landscapes represent the dynamic phases of existence. The trips become something to remember. Individuals differ but the path of life seems the same. (The journey of life is just as traveling around to see the world.) The fantastic but obscure scenery crawls under subconscious mind if we tracing all the obsessions and memories in depth; and Paintings of diverse colors and rigorous structures arouse the secrets buried under the forgotten memories.

Does heaven speak? The four seasons pursue their courses, and all things are continuously being produced, but does heaven say anything?

This quote obscurely talks about the invisible force that drives the world – love. Mankind is great because love can be expressed and understood. And so is a painting touching because it delivers love from the world and the creatures. Everything is delicately created and love seems to play a role behind the scene. The art pieces in this exhibition convey the concept that we can feel the emotional connections upon mountains, rivers, fishes, insects, birds and flowers. Interactions with Nature are beyond description and worth observing: love appears around the nestling birds, the swimming fishes and the flying butterflies in pairs. The exhibition includes collections of the elegant mountains and water with bluish tint, the vivid and colorful flowers and creatures, and the lotus pond in four seasons. Those artworks represent the observation and understanding of Wu Ying-Jie about Nature. They are realistic but poetic; emotional but profound. Traditional skills and innovative methods are tactfully applied and you may experience the inheritance of Chinese culture in thousands of years. Wu Ying-Jie is an artist who stands on the shoulders of giants to move on, hopefully to splash a trajectory in the universe full of stars.

Named “Doctor Tree”, Liu Pan-Han is an artist dedicated to wooden carving and preserving the materials originated from Taiwan. In art career for more than 30 years, Liu established The Woodpecker Studio in 1986. It is a dream land to experience culture of wooden art with his creativity, passion and positive actions. He grew up around hills, embracing the natural beauty. The plants, the rocks and each wooden piece in the mountain are all treasure offered by Nature. Therefore, Liu wants to be a woodpecker in the urban jungle, bringing back the atmosphere of Nature with lively energy and peaceful state.

The art pieces in this exhibition are inspired from Yilan. Liu Pan-Han collects the wooden materials from Tai-Ping Mountain and shapes the artwork according to the given texture and color individually. Along with his imagination and creativity, Liu finds out the unique value of each piece with his talented skills - cutting, carving, surfacing and chiseling. He is also a veteran educator from National Taiwan University of Arts, whose academic environment strongly influenced his style. Besides the various shapes and forms, Liu’s works are filled with profound thoughts and humane beauty.

Leaving our hometown and developing our career in the city, we become migrants, settling down thereafter. The status away from home feels like drifting of Nostalgia. “Nostalgia is the suffering caused by an unappeased yearning to return. Rather than the infinite for the adventurer, the finite for the return is a reconciliation with the finitude of life. The glorified nostalgia with a laurel wreath laid out a moral hierarchy of emotions.[1]” said Milan Kundera. While in Taipei, the imagery of homeland in mind gradually turn vague. But whenever the heart is exhausted, immediately we want home. Our homeland Yilan is the place where we can get rid of the stress and get some rest. And such emotions of homesick are honestly revealed in our artwork.

Chang Chia-Jung and Yu Wen-Zhi are both artists from Yilan. Although they went to the same high school, college and graduate school, they got acquainted later in the workplace. With similar background, Chang and Yu become very good friends and now partners of their own studio. This exhibition is an opportunity that allows the artists to collaborate and bring their works back to Yilan. Echoing their love of home, the collection completes the conversation between their talents and the sense of nostalgia.

I left home when I was young and return now as an old man.
My accent hasn’t changed but my hair turns gray.

This is the poem that I recited with my classmates six decades ago. At that time, I was too young to understand the idea. Last Tomb Sweeping Day, I came back my hometown and encountered new faces. I literally realized the poem. I still remember the day decades ago participating in a painting contest. To buy color pens, my brother harvested vegetables and sold. I was anxious that the vegetables didn’t sell because they didn’t look good at all. Memories from my childhood days still stay in my mind.

I grew up in a rural area and dropped out of school after graduating from elementary school to involve in family farming. Though my education discontinued, I painted as long as I had leisure time. During the military service, my squad leader encouraged me and I decided to pursue arts and creation. Throughout the years, I paint portraits and create artworks using concrete, fencing wire and plastic tube. For this exhibition, I try iron welding to represent the surreal idea of Emptiness and Form. The memories seem as if they happened yesterday. I am aging now but still energetic to create. The road to arts is endless that I’ll keep running.

The unique taste of arts speaks who Formosa Pearl is. We progressively spend the effort exploring the depth and width of the culture in Taiwan; pursue every detail of the visible and the invisible with passion and ideal.

Formosa Pearl fuses various elements in the environment to present our understanding of beauty. Here you may be aware of the delicacy of eastern classic furniture, the hand-made ceramic dishes by the local artists, the ikebana decoration (flower arrangement) originated from Japan, the hand-made-and-dyed fabrics from India rural area and the menu written in flying Chinese calligraphy.

Since Formosa Pearl Gallery was established in 2013, over 30 exhibitions were held in the fields of Chinese ink painting, oil painting, ceramic art, glass art, wood carving, leather crafts and antique collections. It becomes an open platform that allows the artists to express their inspiration and principle of creation. People who love arts could closely view the artworks and interact with companions with taste in common. And our dear guests of restaurant could enjoy the amazing meal with a touch of these beautiful artworks. It’s such easy to embrace arts in our life.

It’s the 5th anniversary, time to retrospect what we have done during these years. We invite all the artists from the past exhibitions and each provides one art piece to this anniversary project. Together we hope to consolidate stronger power to attract more people to join artistic activities here in Yilan and have the talented Taiwanese artists exposed with their energetic creativity. Your participation and advice would be greatly appreciated.

The culture of Chinese ink painting in Taiwan is inherited from the tradition that passed along thousands of years. It’s been independently developed in this island for more than three hundred years. Over this period of time, the culture has been colonialized by Japan for 50 years and then influenced by literati masters (Pu Hsin-Yu, Huang Chun-Pi and Chang Da-Chien) from mainland China after 1949, the Chinese civil war. With early westernization and continuous innovation, a unique style has been formed with its own techniques and features.

Skills of Chinese ink painting have been changing. The traditional techniques are gradually replaced by modern color ink painting techniques, and the basics of skills seem less valued nowadays. On the other hand, the development of ink painting in mainland China was interrupted by Cultural Revolution, and thereafter it becomes a new stream of style. So many ink paintings are introduced to Taiwan, affecting public taste of ink painting here.

I’ve been concerned about the future of ink painting in Taiwan, so the most important purpose of this exhibition is to call public attention to get in touch of the spirit of Taiwanese ink painting style and the essence of traditional basic techniques. This style inherits the profound Chinese culture and combines with diversified variations along with historic events happened on this island. Hopefully it could be valued and well-preserved for good rather than overly be assimilated by skin-deep modern skills. This exhibition tells how deep my love is to Taiwan.

“Beauty is a primeval phenomenon (urphänomen), which itself never makes its appearance, but the reflection of which is visible in a thousand different utterances of the creative mind, and is as various as nature herself.”said the Philosopher Goethe.

When all is quiet at dead of night, the painter feels relieved from a long day of work. The studio is the place where the inspiration and the spring of life meet and where the painter observes his emotions burgeoning from the internal and the external. At dark, the light turns down and the artist honestly faces the naked nature. It’s a spiritual conversation and interaction.

Chien Hsin-Pin’s paintings speak for his specialties that combine the techniques from East and West. Not restrained by the traditions, the works present a broad vision and progressive ambition in arts.

The ideal black of Chien is warm that reveals the relationship among people in East Asia Society. He paints in layers with the tenacity and transparency of pigments. The warmth and emotion of memories are gently released. His expressions are not about the sound of roaring waves, but more about the comprehension of life and experience after self-reflection and self-cultivation.

Chien Hsin-Pin likes to paint and capture the moment while the daylight is faint and dim. The light penetrates the limitless space as the mind explores to find answers. When the light spots on a specific position and the viewer stares attentively, his focus will gradually be dissolved as time goes by. The image then emerges and be captured as a visible memory for good, ultimately traveling in time and space.

The artworks are inspired from the memories of Chien Hsin-Pin’s foreign trips. The footprints in the cities transform into imagery that becomes shapes, imaginations and abstract concepts onto canvas. The impact is emotional but also rational and straightforward. Upon the whole-hearted process of creation, it’s a practice of self-discipline and liberation of mind.

The Lights and Colors - Kuo Yan-Ya

Neither limited by the tradition nor accepting education from an art school, Kuo Yan-Ya started her art career after entering the work force. Her paintings cannot be specifically categorized. With Kuo’s sharp observation and accurate capture of color, the pieces of her memories are depicted softly and cozily like silk. Beyond the shape, color, light and shadow of visible appearance, the paintings are expressions and soliloquies of her mind.

The topics of Kuo Yan-Ya’s artwork include early settings of good old agricultural era and natural scenery of mountains and waters. Her paintings are warm and filled with cheerful colors, free without boundaries. They are just the reflection of her pursuit in art.

She continues to learn from the seniors and Nature and explores various techniques and knowledges. As life goes on, the experience will become her artwork and create a new page of her own.

The Whispers and Poems of Porcelain Works - Jiang Han-Ching

Art and creation are the principle of life upon self-fulfillment needs. Being himself, Jiang Ching-Yuan follows what he wanted in the very beginning of his career in art. Innocence and purity as a kid are true merit for Jiang as an artist. He is exciting about exploring Nature, the major source of his creativity.

The theme of Jiang Ching-Yuan’s artwork is quite different from other ceramic artists. He is talented depicting of mountains, rocks and animals vividly onto the porcelain work. The mountains and rivers are gorgeously situated and delicately presented in details. The outlines strengthen the shape of objects and the flying creatures decorate the work, reconciling the real nature and the performance of art.

The uniqueness of Jiang’s paintings reflects the persistence and the profoundness of his life. The strokes reveal the footage of his innermost. Art is the way to settle his restless spirit and home to his mind.

The theme of my artwork is often the endless-stretching mountains which portrays one's transcendental poise and magnanimous attitude; or the magnificent peaks that symbolize perseverance and an enthusiastic spirit. To me, the rolling hills best represents a pleasant state of emotion and a tranquil mindset. I like to use the imagery of floating clouds to convey an ambience of lightness and ease; reflective water to convey a cheery and lighthearted sentiment; or a flowing mountain spring to convey boundless vitality. The dynamics of ceramics are determined by the earthy, raw clay and the velvety glaze. Various shapes could be created beyond the restriction of physical space with wondrous and intricate interpretation of 3-dimensions. The sculpturesque curves and outlines are characteristic and robust, implying the vitality of life out of clay blocks. When producing the earthenware, I follow the characteristics and the property of the raw material, creating an affinity between the earth and human. For that reason, the potteries can be harmoniously fused into our modern living space.

When it comes to ceramic creation, natural scenery and phenomenon are my recurring themes. I would take a section of the landscape and render the magnificence and versatile sight into one unique piece. For pieces that portray natural landscapes, the simplicity of the silhouette, precise cut of the surface, and the gentle curved lines are the dominating traits. The different elements need to be tactfully fused in order to present elegance and tranquility. When handling the clay surface, I tend to keep the grainy texture and use only sectional glaze in order to maintain the subtle, earthy characteristics of the clay and to further reveal its inner spirit. Some clay work are cured in a wood fire kiln so the smoked mark or the ash-induced glaze would intensify the raw, earthy, aged characteristics.

Paintings are developed while we observe nature and escape from the reality, resulting in expressions of “existence of self”. The canvas is like a fracture from the body of self, containing part of broken imageries and memories out of the fragmented, mingling and descriptions of senses.

The formation and depletion of everything continue as the changing seasons move forward. Nature, in my memory, is a combination of countless segments and glances, and my artwork presents the result of such deduction, creation and rebuilding of my memory.

Drawing is a process to pursue the freedom and liberation, and to drift from essence and existence; imagination and physical objects; the visible and invisible. Someone who floats in the space of imagination and resonates with the spirit will release the power of emotions and the inner being of self.

One can express sense and sensibility or sub-create a world in another's perception by way of escaping the transformation of natural environment and substances. “Nature in all its vastness is truthfully reflected in my sincere though feeble soul,“ said Claude Debussy. The musician weaved the music notes and rhythm to present the landscape of nature in his mind, whereas I paint and disclose the splitting and impetuous soul, which is suffering anxiety and restlessness.

Vision –A Mutual Imagination Built upon Our Interrelated Visual Perceptions

My Vision reserves an empty space for Direct Visual Perception that allows Your Vision to fill in. It becomes a mutual imagination between the artist and the audience.

Direct Visual Perception is formed before the process of thinking like the birth of universe. It’s a chaotic status as the seawater rages and roars and as the primitive land initiates a canvas. Everything is back to the start of Visual Imagery. Together we establish the unreal Vision. Time and history elapsing, the imagination unlimitedly enlarges and extends.

My Vision uncovers an open field for your imagery to grow. Collectively we own an imagination that contains our imageries.

Led to a virgin imagination, you and I are processing an incredible adventure of imagery beyond our understanding. It’s a metaphysical call to the dream land out of greatness, profoundness, fantasy, detachedness, mystery and dynamics.

--

I can never quit the endless pursuit of such material, which is simply made of pigments and linen fabrics.

What does an art piece look like if it’s free of thinking process while being created?

A non-existent world could be more truthful to the spirit than the real life.

Art originates from the motivation of my innermost but is created at ease with a peaceful mind.

As the technology advances, the civilization doesn’t follow accordingly. When we stroll the trails in the countryside and see the changing light in a day, such satisfaction is so real that can never be replaced by anything in the virtual digital world.

The solo exhibition of Chen Chi-Fen tells her exploration about natural beauty and the reflection of her aesthetic sense. Now an art lecturer at a university, Ms. Chen used to be a music teacher for many years. Upon the experience in different forms of arts – music, oil painting and crystal glass art – she feels that life is like a piece of symphony that she could hypostatize the imagery of melody and her mental state onto artwork. The colors of notes become vivid oil paintings and glamorous crystal glass sculptures.

This exhibition – the Chih Arts and Inspiration – contains two themes. The oil painting series is about modern Impressionism. Chen Chi-Fen adopts the techniques of both eastern splash-ink and western automatism. The virtual and objective shapes combine and coordinate, conveying overwhelmed emotions. As regards to crystal glass, Ms. Chen fuses innovative techniques and materials, of which the knowledge of expertise was fostered at New York Pratt Institute and National Taiwan University of Arts. The spatial blocks and color displacement orchestrate a mysterious crystal glass work that reveals brightness with partial transparency.

Beauty is the source of imagination and its impact is boundless. The clarity of crystal glass projects our beautiful mind. The profoundness of oil painting explores the innermost of our hearts. In recent years, Chen Chih-Fen’s artwork is about her life and the retrospect of her career in arts. It’s a self-discovery to pursue the inspiration of beauty and an ambition to attempt new media and skills. Ms. Chen continues her dialogue with society and modern arts, ending up with plenty of aesthetic and poetic works.

Red Is a Format of Resolution While Burning

To draw something decently is never easy. A true artist presents outcry, compassion, or introspection of his or her life in an art piece, instead of a simple visual format of sweet and pleasure. I think ultimately artists will seriously take journey of life and death as themes when creating. They are asking questions such as“who am I?”,“where do I come from?” or “where am I going?” Answers are down in the paintings. Some come with weighted heart and emotional surges; some come with tears and bitterness; and others come with forgiveness, mercy and thankfulness. As a result, the artwork becomes believed and emerges the power of life, which touches the audience’s heart and passes through generations.

I have always been fascinated with Chinese calligraphy since I was young. Even in dark typhoon nights when the power was off, I continuously practiced writing until midnight with candles lit. There is a strong bond between the flow of ink and my life. The strokes reflect my delight, anger, sorrow and happiness, as if they dance with the melody of my soul and bring me to the top of the world. Furthermore, calligraphy art led me to fields of Chinese ink painting, western painting and sculpture, in which I feel belongingness in art and life.

In my early artworks, I didn’t use too many colors, which may distract and draw audience’s attention away. They are mostly mono ink paintings that tell stories purely in black and white. Then I attempted western paintings and learned to understand the diversity of color. I realize that color could easily influence one’s emotion, evoke one’s eagerness and revive one from being demoralized. I once saw a documentary about master painter Wang Pan-Yuan. He said he was born with talent in playing with colors. So glad that I am now more sensitive in applying colors to my work.

I am also exploring possibilities of shapes. An irregular object could break the balance of a picture, resulting in unexpected visual effect. Whenever my inspiration dries out, I will try something outside of the box and see if it can make a plain image interesting and impactful with tension that catches audience’s eyeballs.

Last but not least, it is critical for me to draw. Diligently I draw when I am in pleasure, anger, sadness and joy. The extension of my paintings opens a wide and pure utopian world and conveys various tastes of life. And I draw because drawing soothes the bitterness of my life.

Yeh Fa-Yuan is talented for applying leather sculpture art to themes of nature and life, bringing vitality into cattle leather and making the figures vivid as real. “Art is rooted in lands and creativity comes from daily life” is the faith while Mr. Yeh creates his work.

The realistic style of Mr. Yeh is unique and opens a new page of leather art. He is the first artist to win the first prize of National Crafts Achievement Award and several other international awards. A mixture of craftsmanship and humanity, his works tell the stories of the rural culture and reflect his affection for his homeland Taiwan. Mr. Yeh’s outstanding works represent modern leather art and were once exhibited in the Louvre Museum, Paris.

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, collects Mr. Yeh’s artwork and admires his marvelous techniques that even high-technology cannot achieve. Yeh Fa-Yuan’s leather sculptures are frequently selected as premium gifts for diplomacy or business purposes. “The Harvest”, leather figurine artwork, is the official present for the 2009 Cross-Strait High-Level Talk to Chen Yun-Lin, Chairman of Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS). This honor speaks for the international reputation and popularity of Yeh Fa-Yuan’s leather sculpture art.

Mr. Lin Tsung-Ming is concerned with the land he is living as the theme of his works. He explores the simplicity and diversity of countryside landscapes with different view angles, distance and time. Carefully observing his paintings, we could discover various expressions in the composition of forms, colors and techniques. The magnificent mountains and endless ocean tell the spirit of perseverance and courage to challenge the unexpected. The delicacy of color variations further reflects rich emotions and sincerity artistically. This exhibition is a collection of Mr. Lin’s favorite idyllic scenery of Lanyang Plain. The rural tranquility, rice fields and farm houses are everywhere in his paintings. We look forward to experiencing how Mr. Lin Tsung-Ming is inspired by the countryside beauty and the pastoral life in terms of oil paintings. This is going to be a remarkable and heart-touching exhibition.

Art inspired from daily chores is fascinating. Ordinary things can ignite sparkle as life experience can refine vitality. These are the origins of art creation. Creation records life. Good memory elapses as time goes by, but we can capture our expression of emotion through art creation. Creation is more than a piece of product; it is a thought, attitude and life.

Many people have aphasia when they exposed to avant-garde art. Art classification and sampling have become a game limited to a small group of professionals. In fact those arts we discuss are separating from our lives. However, art is still part of our soul. Our value and desire will not alter as long as our nature remain unchanged. Principle of art should not depart from human nature!

The world is dark, but our lives can lighten it up. Living in a modern world, people want more for everything, and a faster and more convenient way of life. Does it mean better? We definitely need to think about it. Can the shadow of information enrich our lives or accumulate as our wisdom? Art is my way of life as well as the mode to improve my life and make me feel better.

It is an optimistic message, a nimble imagination. Thoughts flow like river. We can turn invisible thoughts into reality, visualize abstract idea; erase rationality temporarily, emptiness lead to intuition – an entanglement of symbol and vision, as well as a liberation of emotion. We are bounded by walls, can we find our peace of mind without relying on power, achievement, money, sensual enjoyment .......? Creation is simply a communication of our dilemma and imagination of our lives out of the interaction with the environment. The process of creation stores our emotion and idea. It is also the way to find peace of mind.

My artwork is an expression of my life. I am an artist not good at writing, but through my works, you may discover many forgotten things.

I enjoy travelling and simple life in all seasons.

For me, the purpose of creating artwork is not about painting techniques.

The purpose of creation is to uncover one’s “true self” under the premise of freedom and emancipation. It is a creating activity to develop one’s “individualized self”, a state of architectural structure, or a spiritual journey to reach out one’s inner energy.

The symbols in my works can be extended inwards or expanded outwards at will, representing the whole concept as a projection of the inner force. With an attitude of freedom and emancipation, anything can be the source of inspiration. The point is whether a painter could be intuitive and sensitive to exercise the power of imagination.

During the process to create, only if you liberate your mind, you can let the “true self” speak aloud and act freely. And thus “autonomous creation” and “individualized style” would naturally appear.

I can do artistic creation anytime and anywhere, regardless of materials, forms, and contents. Although some ideas remain hidden in my mind, they would spontaneously emerge throughout the creating activities.

As the hazy chaos set before the dawn,

I gaze at the illusive skylight from the inside of the house,

Perceiving the essence of myself as my artwork approaches me and reaches out my spirit.

I have lived for six decades. It feels like a thousand voyages has gone through the river. After getting married and forming my family, I started to do Chinese ink wash painting and calligraphy at age 38.

As a family tradition, my father taught me rigorously to write calligraphy ever since I was a kid. I took many contests as a challenge and meanwhile broadened my vision through peer competition. One day near the market around my house in Taipei Beitou, I bumped into an artist drawing Chinese monochrome painting over the rock. I was so obsessed with the delicacy of the landscape. Thereafter, I am deeply involved in this traditional format of art.

For the first ten years, I practiced basic skills of ink wash painting. To acquire advanced techniques, I went back to school for academic art studies. In styles of traditional and then modern, I try to explore the natural expressions of ink-splash and ink-flow. With a focus of landscapes, I had eight solo exhibitions in cultural center nationwide.

I keep my hands busy, pursuing other interests in artisanal handicraft. Patchwork quilts, sock dolls, and clay figurine sculptures are some of my favorites. I am a licensed instructor for the field.

In June 2013, I had my Chinese color ink painting exhibition, Bie-Yang-Ching (the Other Emotion in Flow of Ink), in Taipei Cultural Center. The collection is about life drawing on flowers and birds. I learned from Nature, observed carefully, and pushed myself to the limit.

I dream, follow my dreams and enjoy. I would appreciate your advice sharing your thoughts in art.

The water buffalo is an emotional symbol for most people in Taiwan. In traditional art, drama or folk music, the water buffalo represents the characteristic of those who work hard growing plants in paddy fields. They are simple, humble, honest but introvertedly expressing their inner emotions.

When it comes to Taiwan’s art history, the water buffalo is a significant topic. Before Hsiao Tzu-Ming, there are many classics: Huang Tushui’s plaster relief masterpiece, Yen Shui-Long’s mosaic wall art in Jian Tan Park, as well as the amazing artworks by Lin Chih-Chu, Chen Cheng-Po, Ran In-Ting, Cheng Shan-Hsi, let alone Yang Yuyu and Zhu Ming. National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts even named its major gallery as Water Buffalo.

As mentioned, the water buffalo positions a unique place in Taiwan’s art history and becomes a symbol that conveys the developing stages of regional art. Hsiao Tzu-Ming, moving to Vancouver for more than 20 years, is the first overseas Taiwanese artist who creates considerable artworks around this local emblem.

Let’s talk about the water buffalos in Hsiao’s works.

From the aspect of his methodology, Tzu-Ming follows the tradition to actually observe in breadth and in depth. He would spend a whole day conducting the fieldworks and monitoring the buffalos. “I watch few flocks of water buffalos, tracking their activities every once in a while,” said Hsiao. For his works «Sublimation » and «Circulation», Tzu-Ming has massive sketches of water buffalos, technically drafting their muscles, skeletons, movement and even emotions.

For Hsiao’s composition, it’s a fusion of reality and fiction like the trend in Renaissance period. The main characters are placed in a close-up with an imaginary background. This method is aimed to emphasize the role’s personality and feeling. The fictitious background is detached to the topic and makes the focus onto the character so that the indescribable mindset could be accentuated and observable. And so do Tzu-Ming’s water buffalos, such compositions reflect a sense of tameness and solemnity.

Finally, Hsiao Tzu-Ming takes the risk in colors. He abruptly applies contradictory colors, which require an artist with a sharp talent in color to combine favorably. In his oil paintings «Bluish Gray (Tsang) » and «Circulation», the contrasting colors are showy but successfully bring the images of water buffalo into a style of contemporary art. His adventurous courage is admirable that he creates a different space of his own.

This exhibition also includes several of his paintings depicting the scenery in Canada. The use of color explains Hsiao’s unique way of lyrical expressions. These artworks together with the portraits of water buffalos implicitly flow the theme - Circulation.

Marlon Chen attempts mingling multiple materials to create artwork. With his talents in dealing with different media, the works are tactfully presented in plains or in dimensions. Chen‘s oil paintings are colorful and structural, reflecting people’s ordinary life in terms of traditional glove puppetry and folk stories. Apparently influenced by Eastern Zen, his ceramic works are lacquered with low key pigments and shaped in simple forms. The fish and birds symbolize freedom while the eggs and bones imply the circulation of life and death. Besides, his skillful oil painting techniques seamlessly transition into porcelain glazing, making his works transboundary and unique.

Marlon Chen's childhood was filled with images of countryside, wilderness, rivers, oceans and boats. Such impressions, like the good old tunes, are deep in mind and inspire his creativity. Chen emphasizes local scenery and captures the sunlight onto the canvas. The paintings convey nostalgic emotions and tell stories about touching moments of life.

Under his strokes, plays of glove puppetry are more than performances on the stage. The figures themselves represent various personalities and confrontations - a metaphor of stage of real life.

Marlon Chen takes pure and sincere attitude for every single piece of artwork. Although he creates with multiple materials, Chen has his concept of visuals in line. His ceramic sculptures follow strict composition. He preserves the flexibility and texture of clays with limited lacquers. Besides, Chen has unique sense in structuring dimensional works by the use of drift wood, metal, rope or fishing nets. The fusion of realism and abstractionism speaks for his style and expresses the profoundness of circulation of life.

Born in a poor rural family, I headed for Taipei for living at 16 years old. Time went by but my obsession with homeland never diminished. Memories in youth emerged from time to time.

I built my business when I was young. Due to limited income, my leisure activities were to collect stamps with postmark from discarded envelopes and put in albums. Gradually stamp collecting became my interest, satisfying my desire to collect. With some experiences, I started to collect new stamps released by the Post Office. Among various topics and patterns, I like the folktale series the most. Perhaps in the process of stamp collecting, these stories behind just soothe my homesickness as an immigrant in the city.

A retrospect of my career in manufacturing business, I did not move my investment to China in the 80s and 90s as most of competitors did. Instead, I stayed in Taiwan and developed further. I established a factory in my hometown, Yilan, to boost local employment. And then Formosa Pearl was founded on the land where I planted crops when I was a kid, now a place to promote fine foods, tea, and art. My mission is to make Yilan home to cultural and creative business.

Initially an outsider, I learn to comprehend the field of art increasingly as I get involved in and exchange ideas with professionals. Particularly, the antique carving pieces interested me. The delicate works are magnificent and tell the story of time. In such an age when light bulbs, electrical tools and computer graphic software were unavailable, the artisans created the pieces purely by hands from scratch. They shaped the stories with characters, plants, animals on the materials. The delicacy of tiny hairs, twigs, and wrinkles on texture speaks the effort and persistence that had been put to the artworks. The nameless craftsmen had long been gone but their spirits to pursue the ultimate beauty persist. I would like to share these cherished collections with you in the exhibit and hopefully you would feel moved as I do. Welcome and appreciate your advice!

Lan Wen-Wan, born in 1963 in Gong Liao New Taipei City, is a renowned wood carving artist. He was invited to exhibit in the Presidential Office Gallery many times. His series of “Extension of Life” in 2001 and “Hoe for Hope” in 2003 were collected by Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum. Mr. Lan is the winner of National Crafts Awards and several wood sculpture competitions in 2007. The magnificent artworks themselves tell how patient and concentrated he is to create the lifelike pieces. Lan Wen-Wan is one of the masters in wood carving art with nationwide reputation.

Lan grew up in a mountain village surrounded by natural environment. In the days of his youth, he walked hours to school. After school, he assisted family agricultural works: rounding up cattle, raising chickens, and planting vegetable crops. The nature was part of his life, which nurtured his persistent and hardworking personality. Wen-Wan moved to Toucheng Yi-Lan when he was an eighth grade student. After graduated from junior high school, he first worked as a blacksmith apprentice and developed his skills of forging metal. Then he worked in a restaurant and practiced ice and vegetable carving. Lan eventually self-learned wood carving and applied all the acquired skills in creating beautiful stainless steel and wood sculpture artworks.

“Without learning the basic knowledge from teachers, I practice on my own.” Lan Wen-Wan said. He made his research on structure and style, and carefully observed objects to create each masterpiece. The Horsehair Crab is a symbolic icon to Mr. Lan. It requires patience and effort to carve a crab, especially every tiny hair on the body. His endeavor makes plain wood piece into almost real creature.

Lan Wen-Wan said, “People wonder if I draft in advance before carving. In fact, I just follow the raw material and observe the shape, texture and quality. My inspiration will direct me to a theme. Then I’ll carve it out according to the actual form of the material to its delicacy. This way will best reflect the spirit of the theme.” Apparently, Mr. Lan Wen-Wan is so proud of his works, which represent his passion and engagement in traditional wood sculpture arts.

I was attracted by the forest atmosphere at the moment when I walked into it. I like to observe the subtle lives in the wilderness - the dancing butterflies, the worms nibbling tree leaves, and the bouncing birds flying over the branches…… I discover the growth of creatures and paint the leaves, flowers, and pieces of deadwood in the wild. I feel the breath of plants. Wild life drawing is like a key for me to exploring nature, enabling me to experience all forms of life in the world.

I draw a fallen leaf in the process of withering. I draw a flower, feeling the growth of a plant – starting as a seed burgeoning hopes of new life. A row of bush and a corner of forest nurture on my paper. So much I appreciate the colorful change of seasons, feeling the moisture and aroma flowing in the air. Nature is the source of my inspiration. The pure and primitive sensation is aroused when I write down the flower and grass around.

After leaving the glamorous life in Taiwan Television and getting back to basics, Lan Jung-Hsien focuses on painting and living a completely different life. Without spotlights, his current seaside lifestyle is ordinary and peaceful.

Away from social connections, Lan Jung-Hsien stays close to nature every day for new painting ideas, which are the partial result of this exhibition. He has many scenery works depicting the sea at the moment the sun rises. Very often he wanders along the coast of Yilan before the sunrise to catch the image of the rising sun that starts a beautiful day. Sunrise stands for hopes and the future, and rays of light brighten up his creations.

Rearranging the spiritual status is the motivation why Lan Jung-Hsien takes the sunrise as the theme of paintings. His life is used to be glamorous with the past title and high income at Taiwan Television. There is a question: how to get back to the start and to create a new painting style? Lan Jung-Hsien decided to start with a reborn phoenix - the “Fly” series. The firebird is placed in a huge picture hanged on the wall, with wings surrounded the whole frame. The character belongs to artistic vocabulary, generating rhythmic leaps and interconnecting emotions. The color is so showy and the strokes are so rough that make the image impactful and powerful.

Recently Lan Jung-Hsien demonstrates his tactful painting skills of suturing, overlaying, and scattering in his “Butterfly” series. He scatters liquefied acrylics onto specific zones of the canvas. With skills of printmaking such as rolling, pressing, and transfer printing, the unexpected stripes and patterns would be the background. Then Lan draws plenty of repeating and abstract butterflies in different sizes. The result introduces a new realm of random beauty: colors represent seasons; the concept of suturing implies merging of worlds.

Lan Jung-Hsien’s skillful techniques can be traced back to his youth. This exhibition also includes Lan’s excellent works when he was a teenager and competed in Taipei Art Exhibition or National Art Exhibition. At the time, his style was new and revolutionary. And now that he starts painting again, his artwork is even more mature and continues to break the limit.

It seems to be the harvest season in his life. Lan Jung-Hsien stays away from the city and stays alone, simplifying his work to only contemplating and painting. The more distance he is from the applause and the crowd, the more chances he has to be inspired by streams and waterfalls in the wild. The desire to capture the sound of the roaring wave and the whispering river motivates him to take various form of water as the main theme in his painting recently.

Water and the imagery of flying become Lan Jung-Hsien’s focus nowadays. He concretizes the sound of water and the uprising trace of flying onto the canvas. Both concepts are what Lan Jung-Hsien rediscovers after he picks up the painting brush again and starts a new page of life in his homeland Yilan.

If the human world is a garden, artists will be the planters of dreams. They bring extraordinary imaginations and wonderful flowers to the world. Through eyes and multifaceted artistic expressions of the artists, the observers are able to open their own vision and hear their inner voices and desires.

My artwork represents different expressions of my mental consciousness, which flows and interweaves each other. Photography is the tool that I set scenes and write poems. Through the quiet and speechless world established by the lenses, my curious eyes can see without boundaries. How beautiful and mysterious the scenery could be – only the simple and fuzzy patches of colors remain. I feel as if entering a form of light when I observe the flowers. Photography allows me to present the spiritual side of me. It’s pure and both concrete and abstract. Paintings, ink drawings, and calligraphies represents the streams of my consciousness. They are in terms of the known and the unknown, the novelty and the joy of the world. Sculptures concretize the unstrained and resilient flow of my life. My early sculptures mainly presented objective bodies. As age brought new understanding of life, I started to include what I learned from nature, what I thought and what I touched into my artwork. I try to understand how to turn stressful life into fresh buds and flowing water in spring. Even though days are constantly followed by shadows and stuck in bitter darkness, we should always face towards the sun - the blessing of nature that we could deal with difficult situations. In my works, human bodies contain elements of spring and philosophies of nature. I want to share my feeling that life is rich and cheerful. Since 1988, I have exercised self-fulfillment for more than 20 years every day without rest, doing whatever pleases me this way – to create something out of nothing and to accomplish the ideal and the joyfulness in my heart.

Arts leads me to an artistic field like a religion. I think artists are the decoders of the physical world, nature and inner the spiritual aspects. We see things that many other people cannot see or sense. We internalize and transform the information into written words or images – either realistic or abstract – honestly presenting the enchanting world we observe. There is no end. I continue to strengthen, open up new visions, and present to the world. This is what arts matters to me and what arts means to me –

I observe. I discover. I create. I disappear.

When the exhausted body quietly lies down, the soul wakes up.

The white nights and black days fly and extend.

It’s a joy to create –

I peep the profound thoughts of nature via human bodies, from which mountains, waters and flowers grow.

It’s why I am joyful to create -

To get rid of the old that are dead.

To rebel against the stale and tasteless realities and systems and to allow life to explore without boundaries.

To break the restrictions of time and space, traveling, floating and enchanting.

"A flower is not a flower; a fog is not a fog

 It comes at night, but goes at dawn

 Sweet dream does not linger

 It disappears without a trace."

 Tang Dynasty, Bai Ju-Yi

My face does not reflect my soul. However, worrying about the appearance is inevitable for everyone in this world.

A flower made of thread or leather is not real flower as it blooms forever and never decays.

Beauty brings along appreciation and tranquility. One flower is one world; one leaf is one Tathagata.

You are invited to appreciate the flower, which is not a flower, and to see through the fog, which is not a fog.

The phrase “Snow White Phoenix” was introduced by a Hong Kong theatrical play in 1993. The play is based on the biography of Nan Hai Thirteen Lang, a Cantonese drama writer in the 1930s. There was a picture called “Snow White Phoenix” hanged throughout the show (a piece of blank white paper as a matter of fact), as a metaphor for the creator keeping a mind full of imagination and creativity even though in a tough time, and persevering without losing the original mind.

Globalization sweeps away the culture’s uniqueness of all places in the world. Consumption consolidation has become the new world culture. As a result, material civilization overwhelms our mind, people think of desire all the time, and spending money becomes the only meaning in our lives. When infinite expansion of desire rules our spirit, we live insensitively like a frog swimming in slowly heated water and dying gradually in comfort.

I use desire as a perspective to observe the society and discover the true meaning of this ever changing world through desire. Through the view of animals, I perceive those big events of contemporary civilization and unveil people’s survival status, and psychological change. Everyone has desire which is reasonable, even animal has desire, as we are born with desires: materialism, appetite, sex, and power. However, giving animal a role to impersonate and express with emotion can bring forth a dramatic gaze and result in a picture with an unprecedented fantasy experience. Such a gaze may be sarcastic, but it helps revealing human’s civilization.

The exhibition “Reading Civilization” reveals nowadays deflected desire and ridiculous behavior and enables us to examine the true meaning of desire. Desire can work like opium - slowly destroy ourselves unconsciously in comfort. It can also drive us to satisfy ourselves through aggression and destruction. Conflict, war, disease, environmental pollution, and natural resources depletion are related to desire too. I want to emphasize the fact that desire has been altered completely. Desire never stops expanding while people become insensitive to amplify their ambition. While people satisfy their desire, culture vanishes on the other hand, losing spirit completely, and falling into depravity. The irony is that people’s desire is found on self-destruction and destructive aggression, while those extravagant clothes, gourmet dishes, skyscrapers, and so called modern development …are flattered as fashion and advancement. Although we have lesson learned, the game never fall short of newcomers. Such a drama makes us laugh with tear.

I spent a long time ruminating on different phrases, playing with the right wording without structure, and thinking constantly, “Where do I start?” Lifting one’s pen comes with heavy responsibility. It is just as difficult as lifting a sculpture knife, a grinder, or any other apparatus.

I love this piece of land, and I make creations based on everything I have seen and heard. Rural life starts early in the morning. You stay muddy until dusk, turning over soil to sow the seeds. Then comes the hard work of fertilization, irrigation, weeding, and working diligently until the arrival of the harvest.

Who said, “You reap what you sow?” They must have always used their most earnest attitude, spilling forth all their love. I want to be exactly like them: one with the mud, sowing cultural seeds, and eagerly awaiting the sprouting of seeds each day on this beautiful island.

This continual spirit of dedication and persistence, put forth by the people of our land, will endure forever.

“When he draws the curtain covering his picture, the grapes are so true to nature that birds fly to the picture and peck at them.” Pliny, a Roman historian, recounts the effect of painting created by Zeuxis. In the competition between Zeuxis’s grapes and Parrhasius’ curtain, their performance is exactly what Plato said – Illusionist. However, when art is crowned as metaphysics, image is no longer a simple imitation of reality. It’s just like Plato’s argument – art is only an imitation of truth; therefore, the relationship between image and reality becomes complicated.

Image, as a way to seek the truth, maintains an ambiguous relationship with the truth. Like flowers in the mirror and moon in the water, it holds certain truth but the truth is interpreted in different ways. Observing the camellia portrait from Sung Dynasty, we could see the precise lines drawn slowly and steadily, and feel the painter’s breath. In contrast, white flowers depicted in a 17th-century picture might be started with thin layers of pigments, then blended with stacks of color, and finished with abstract intensity of color, following every breath of the painter. Either by explicit ink lines or by epic classical painting, the truth can be expressed differently. Therefore, different images reveal how different cultures interpret aesthetic transformation of the real world.

Seeing flowers in a mirror may result in an unusual glamour; the moon in the water looks even elegant. Illusion comes and goes away. The fickle and untraceable image is also a state of conception.

We invite you to experience the beauty of Illusion.

Since 90's, civilization has been overexpanded. The innovation of digital devices makes people indifferent to the interaction with each other, indirectly influencing the way we live. Anyhow the advance in technology, the desire and curiosity towards nature will not change, especially our obsession with the homeland. Under the complicated culture shock, I prefer to observe quietly. It is my own way to think critically over the fast-changing world as an artist.

I have slightly changed my topic of works, less about hand puppet and folklore religion. Owing to my ear illness, I'm now in favor of a sense of tranquility. The peacefulness and open space in countryside become luxury for city residents. Look out on the ocean, the stand-alone vessel, the spectacular surf and reddish sunrise freeze in one image. It's difficult for modern people to experience such tranquility with harmonization.

In addition to oil painting in pastoral and nostalgia, this exhibition presents a collection of ceramic. I purposely include the clay from the farmland to my piece. It'll reflect something simple and native. With decoration of rope and floodwood from seashore, it's unique Zen, an expression of eastern philosophy. In modern art, Western trend leads the field. We can see the forefront edge flickers the reactionary of origin. Even the conservative tradition spreads the fragrance of novelty. When I was a kid, the folk temple activities and idyllic seaside deeply buried in my mind. Days in foreign cities inspired me with the concept of modern art. Eastern and Western cultures collide and I thus realize: The Zen Philosophy rooted in Taiwan is my muse of art and I'll keep pursuing.

The eye is the container of image

The ear is the container of voice

The nose is the container of smell

The tongue is the container of taste

The body is the container of soul

The way you read is the container of how I think

The way you see is the container of sharing

The inspirational glass is the container of Zen

If you see it once and feel obsessed, that’ll explain me and contain the meaning of my life

At the specific moment, you witness the beauty of yourself

My glass will be the container of you

And the container to carry the world

For a long period of time, I have my focus of pondering and art creating on the idea of “crowd”. “Crowd” is like a silent language that specifically depicts the city. Whenever I face a group of people, I am so eager to freeze the frame that I can retrospect some day and recall the precious moment.

In the beginning of cold 1995, I came to an unfamiliar city, Salamanca in Spain. Salamanca is an old college town with 800 years of history. In the Middle Ages, it was an academic center and now locates several magnificent churches, classic buildings, plazas and narrow streets paved with stones – a place surrounded by historic and cultural atmosphere. Unless you witness, you can hardly imagine that people here are decently dressed but live leisurely. When I belonged to this city, I was part of the crowd strolling the streets. I realized that the residents were wholeheartedly involved in and truly enjoying such a seemingly insignificant activity. Thus, the relaxed walking crowd is the symbolic imagery of the city and inspires me so much.

There are images bearing in my mind: people in the remote Spanish city gather and scatter; unfamiliar faces emerge. Are my paintings simply about faces of strangers? My artwork explores the mentality that we human beings mutually have. Each piece of work doesn’t stand alone but interconnects. Together it’s an inward and outward space that allows the audience to walk in and reconsider the meaning of “crowd”. I hope that you can open a window you just missed after you pass by the “crowd of strangers”. Standing for a while, you may discover something surprised in the crowd.

For artistic creation and research, Quenten Lee focuses on Eastern arts and philosophy. Besides arts, he is also interested in literature, psychology and religion and applies to Zen studies, writing and Zen drawing.

In his artwork, Quenten Lee conveys his understanding of Buddhism with the introduction of junior novices. At the corner of his paintings, he often writes down Buddhist texts in calligraphy to share meaningful stories. Although Lee explores serious themes, his paintings look unadorned and peaceful at first glance. They are actually profound and rich in vitality, enlightening the audience to stay grateful with contentment. The works also demonstrate Quenten Lee’s attitude about life, his elegant humor and unpretentious creativity.