Beautiful Island：Chen Cheng-po, Chen Hui-kun, Ye Huo-cheng, Liu Guo-song, Xiao Qin, Huang Dou-bei, and the Collection Exhibition.

Art Exhibition

Beautiful Island：Chen Cheng-po, Chen Hui-kun, Ye Huo-cheng, Liu Guo-song, Xiao Qin, Huang Dou-bei, and the Collection Exhibition.

This land of Taiwan has nurtured generations of artists, each presenting their unique perspectives and emotions towards Taiwan. In this edition of DVG TAIPEI, we revisit different historical backgrounds, contemplating nature, emotions, and culture, delving into the multitude of memories held by the artists, and allowing these beautiful stories to continue their legacy.

Huang Dou-bei: The Singular "The Art of Dragon-Huang" Series

Huang Dou-bei’s most eye-catching artistic creation is his ” The Art of Dragon-Huang ” series. These works blend prehistoric cultures and oracle bone script from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, combining calligraphy, seal carving, and painting to present a classical and rich artistic style. He also enjoys using cultural heritage left by ancestors as creative materials, such as Chinese cultural totems from various historical periods, wall decorations found in temples, and color elements inspired by Taiwan’s indigenous flora and fauna like flowers, bird feathers, and butterfly wings. His skillful use of colors and profound understanding of ancient culture have earned his works widespread acclaim both domestically and internationally.

During his youth, Huang Dou-bei had already shown remarkable talent and continuously honed his artistic achievements. He skillfully integrated elements from the past and present in his creations, earning praise from art critics for demonstrating profound cultural knowledge, aesthetic sensibility, and a unique and contemporary artistic style. His works drove the cultural evolution of ancient Chinese characters and, through “The Art of Dragon-Huang” series, merged classical elegance with modern romance, resulting in a form of “readable abstract art” resembling symphonies with “lyrics.”

Liu Guo-song: Fusion of Western Style and Chinese Ink Painting

Liu Guo-song is one of the most influential artists in contemporary Chinese ink painting. In his youth, he spearheaded the movement of “modernizing Chinese painting,” blending Eastern and Western artistic styles. He advocated the theory of “revolutionizing brushstrokes,” infusing traditional Chinese ink painting with new meanings. Beyond traditional Chinese ink, he incorporated diverse elements such as British watercolors and American acrylic paints, making groundbreaking strides in art history. His “Jiuzhaigou Series” in particular showcases innovative techniques capturing the grandeur of landscapes and the ever-changing shimmering light, reaching a state of harmonious unity between man and nature.

Liu Guo-song’s works typically exhibit a bold and dynamic aesthetic with sweeping brushstrokes. The lines break free from representational constraints, displaying infinite variations and a continuous sense of vitality. His pieces sometimes resemble abstract forms, while at other times, the imagery of landscapes is evident, showcasing an array of transformations. It is for these reasons that he is hailed as the “Father of Modern Ink Painting.” Liu Guosong stands out as one of the rare artists who possess both quality and quantity, earning high acclaim both in art history and the art market.

Xiao Qin: Master of Abstract Painting

Xiao Qin was a recently deceased master of abstract painting. In his youth, he entered Li Zhongsheng’s studio, which marked the beginning of his enlightenment in modern painting. Later, he founded the abstract painting group “Eastern Painting Society,” known as the “Eight Great Riders,” renowned for breaking traditional painting forms. He then traveled to Europe, including Spain and Italy, to refine his painting skills and simultaneously encouraged Taiwanese artists to exhibit in Europe and introduced European contemporary art to Taiwan.

Xiao Qin’s artistic style was deeply influenced by Daoist philosophy and Zen Buddhism, often reflecting a distinct cosmic view and a sense of fluidity and change in space. His lines transformed into spiritual flows, observing the ever-changing universe and life with a Zen attitude. For instance, in his ceramic creation titled “Dynamic Nature,” he directly expresses the dynamic changes of nature in an abstract painting style, where two colors seem to represent the ebb and flow of Yin and Yang forces. His works frequently explore both Eastern and Western philosophical thinking through metaphysical and spiritual dimensions.

Xiao Qin once taught at the National Tainan University of the Arts, where he introduced the European studio teaching model. His teaching methods were highly inspiring, creative, and forward-thinking, making a significant contribution to contemporary art education in Taiwan.

Chen Cheng-po: The Father of Modernism in Taiwanese Painting

Chen Cheng-po showed a strong interest in painting from a young age. While attending the Taiwan Governor-General’s National Language School, he received instruction from the Japanese painter Ishikawa Kinichiro, which formally initiated his painting career. After graduation, he returned to his hometown of Chiayi to work as a teacher. However, feeling the need to further refine his skills, he decided to study in Japan and enrolled in the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, Department of Western Painting. During this period, his painting “Outside Jiayi Street” was selected for the 7th Imperial Exhibition in Japan, making him the first Taiwanese artist to have an oil painting selected for that exhibition, showcasing his natural talent for painting.

Early Japanese Western painting was deeply influenced by Impressionism, and with Vincent van Gogh as his idol, Chen Cheng-po’s artworks presented a strong Van Gogh style. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum once held an exhibition titled “Passing Through Jiangnan: The Artistic Journey of Chen Cheng-po,” showcasing many of his works from the period he lived in Shanghai, China. It is said that after Chen Cheng-po became a teacher in Shanghai, his brushwork and compositions gradually became more liberated, allowing for greater artistic freedom. “Suzhou Tiger Hill in Early Spring” was his last piece before leaving the mainland. After returning to Taiwan, he established several art societies and actively promoted the development of Taiwanese art. His interpretation of Eastern scenery with a Western Impressionist style earned him the title of “The Father of Modernism in Taiwanese Painting.”

The “Beautiful Island” exhibition also features renowned works from various senior artists who captured the beauty of Taiwan from their unique perspectives, interpreting landscapes through their memories of hometowns. For example, there are paintings by “Miner Painter” Hong Rui-lin, Ye Huo-cheng’s artworks imbued with local flavors and humanistic concerns, and Chen Hui-kun’s mastery of oil, gouache, and ink creations. Their art spans classical and contemporary styles, encompassing both realism and abstraction. Through their diverse artistic forms, they contribute new vocabularies to Taiwan’s cultural landscape, reflecting the values and humanistic spirit of Taiwanese society.