Though Lai’s post-1980s paintings are likewise filled with blocks of alternating perspective and pure color, such pieces also mark a return to his realist roots. This shift in style is reflective of the broadening influence of Lai’s extensive travels. The warm colors and totemic images visible in Abundant Harvest (豐收) and Horse Riding (三人行) evoke the primitivism of Paul Gauguin, an homage inspired by Lai’s experiences in Taiwan’s outlying islands. Early Morning of Budapest (布達佩斯之晨) and Overlooking Prague (布拉克展望) are suffused with a pastel play of light and rhythmic aura, both of which are reminiscent of Paul Cezanne.
Retrospectives offer a window into the development of an artist’s career. In exploring the evolution of Lai’s work, TFAM embarks on a complex journey through both the artist’s stylistic progression and the historical context within which he operated. Though Lai’s art is characterized by its amalgamation of contemporary and traditional techniques, his ability to combine these disparate styles into an original whole is unique, a talent that distinguishes him as one of Taiwan’s most important modernists.
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