National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts

The award-winning works collected over 26 years by the International Biennial Print Exhibition will be shown during the exhibition of International Print Triennial Krakow, presenting a comprehensive overview of the development of print art. Viewers in Poland will be able to see the complete winning works of Taiwan’s biennial.In the words of Witold Skulicz, chairman of the International Print Triennial Krakow, “This will be a milestone event (in the world of print art).”

The 13 Taiwanese artists featured in this exhibition, including Ben Yu, Shun-chu Chen, Yung-hsien Chen, Cheng-chang Wu, Che-yu Hsu, Ya-hui Wang, Chung-lun Chiang, Yi-chih Lai, Wan-ling Chen, Guan-ming Lin, Yu-sheng Lin, Wen-cheng Lee, and Meng-chang Tsai, show the truth behind transient photography and provide a glimmer of hope for the rebirth of this genre by using the meanings of the images itself and invoking the audience’s interpretation and response.

The main theme of the exposition, “speak/describe”, underscores an objective interpretation of issues surrounding contemporary art, while highlighting the constructive significance on the cultural exchanges conducted across the Strait. “Speaking/Describing” reveals a subjective wish and intent to communicate, converse and connect, representing a spirit of openness manifested on the internal level. Looking back on human civilization’s development history, one is safe to say that this open spiritual orientation serves as a barometer for creating cultural apex. On the other hand, “speaking/describing” is about the construct of an inner relation. By virtue of actions and content in “speaking/describing”, the speaker and the listener builds an understanding with each other through the content delivery process, reenacting the collective experiences of their life. This understanding connection and the mingling of experiences represent the dynamics for propelling cultural growth and recreation.

Mr. Chien covers a broad spectrum of subject matter ranging from local scenery, people, flowers and birds. His paintings characteristically exudes a sense of rural charm. As Mr. Chien has once noted, "I often draw inspiration from natural themes. What I try to do is to make a connection with nature through art, to express an idea that all God's creatures should coexist peacefully and be treated with equal respect, and that one's memory should be closely connected with our living environment." Mr. Chien's works show great emphasis on the harmonious unity between the human and nature, and demonstrate his contemplative concern for the land.The 80 pieces of artwork featured in this exhibition - painting scenery or people, realist or abstract - all display the artist's vast knowledge and expertise in gauche training as well as his acute observation of everyday world. We hope that these paintings will invite the viewers to experience the exceptional beauty of Eastern gouache painting.

This is National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts’ first theme-centric exhibition and seminar with the National Art Museum of China ever. Chief of Research department at NAMOC Chen Lue-Sheng and Senior researcher at NTMOFA Tsuei Yung-shuei are in charge of coordinating the exposition, intending to illustrate cross-strait contemporary ink art’s epochal significance through collaborative efforts and dialogues, instead of a comprehensive examination of ink art’s development and history. These themed interpretations may not be necessarily similar. These heterogeneous dimensions promise to enrich the discussion of our exhibition. Also they mark the beginning of a constructive channel for dialog and understanding. We hope to thereby launch a milestone for cross-strait ink art renditions and maximize the prospects and possibilities of contemporary ink and wash paintings through this in-depth opinion exchange.

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Glue color left an early mark in Chinese history and could be traced even earlier in the human history. It is actually what the ancient Chinese generally called “Dan Chin”—literally “Red & Blue”. Or “Gold & Emerald Landscape” & “Blue Green Landscape” in later landscape painting. Or even “Super-realistic Figuratives”—so called “Heavy Color Figuratives” in Mainland China now—in figure painting. Back in the Paleolithic, or the Old Stone Age, human beings were already making paints by mixing gelatin or gum with mineral pigments to make glue color. During the Japanese Occupation in Taiwan, glue color was introduced to Taiwan by the Japanese and was called To-yo-ga (the Japanese term literally means eastern ocean-- signifying Japan-- painting ). When later in this period, the Taiwan Art Exhibition and the Taiwan Governor’s Art Exhibition were initiated, the popularity of Japanese glue color painting was spurred . In the 70’s, the famous artist /professor Lin Chih-chu made a correction and renamed To-yo-ga as glue color painting to distinguish it from the misnomer To-yo-ga. Professor Lin Chih-chu declared, “ Mix the pigments with water, you get water color. Mix them with oil you get oil color. Now you mix glue with the pigments and of course you get glue color painting. Quite reasonable!” Since then the term To-yo-ga has been replaced by glue color painting in Taiwan.Born in Tainan County in 1938, Mr. Hsieh Fong-sheng learned art from Professor Lin Chih-chu and Mr. Chan Fwu-yun. His endeavor and passion for art have lasted for over half a century and have been infused in every inch of his paintings. Professor Lin Chih-chu has observed that in Hsieh’s works the forms and colors of the mother nature are transformed through his unique and careful brainwork into artistic and emotive images. Compositions and colorations, moods and atmospheres – the contents as well as the forms--are very well created in his own distinctive ways.According to a Tang Dynasty scholar Chang Yen-yuan in his [The Compilation of Masterpieces in the History of Painting] , “paintings could not only promote the public education and family ties and ethics but also explore the mystery of heaven and earth……all initiated and inspired by nature, not artificially fictioned or composed by men.” It is true that a masterpiece shows more than just some whimsical aesthetic concepts of an artist’s. It should be both visually enjoyable and spiritually inspiring; both instantly touching and everlastingly vivid-often with abundant gist of the trends and the ethos of time and society. It should reflect political, social and cultural aspirations. Mr. Hsieh Fong-sheng’s art shows his serene and self-composed unworldly detachment and yet gently and unpretentiously eulogizes life and nature.The 80 pieces of artworks, in this exhibition-realistic or abstract, of figures or of landscapes-all demonstrate the great artistic talent and sharp observation of Mr. Hsieh’s, May our sincere invitation, provide you a pleasant time with Mr. Hsieh’s wonderful glue color painting.

Among the total of 2,503 entries, 2,171 were eliminated in the intensively competitive preliminary round. 332 prints and drawings were selected for the Biennial catalogue.

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