“Young people surf the Internet for graphics. They are convenient and pretty but lack history. If you do your research on-site, you will find a lot more detail and learn about the depth of things,” Liao said.
Finicky fashionistas may be especially excited to learn that Liao, who has more than 10 years of training in fine art, makes the extra effort to apply different techniques to every design. His religious images are reminiscent of traditional woodblock printing. A piece featuring the Formosan salmon appears to be the work of a skillful tattoo artist. The aforementioned 1895 battle is rendered in the Ukiyo-e painting style employed in Japanese historical documents that recount the event.
Prices at Nong Li range from NT$780 to NT$880 for T-shirts and below NT$500 for caps and headscarves designed for cyclists and bikers. The boyfriend-and-girlfriend team has been a regular presence at art fairs and musical festivals, including Spring Scream, the now defunct Formoz (野台開唱) and Freak Out Beast (吵年獸). Interested customers can also find Nong Li’s products at venues ranging from chain bookstore Page One to music venue The Wall (這牆) to trend-setting boutiques such as Che Yeh (這也) in Taipei’s East District (東區).
Nong Li’s customer base is equally diverse, spanning the spectrum from teenagers and grandmothers to academics and rockers. What surprises the designer, however, is the enthusiastic reception he receives from Western customers.
“I transformed Far-Hearing into a DJ because of his exceptional hearing ability. Foreigners may not know of the deity, but they are familiar with DJ culture. By making the connection between the two, they may find Taiwanese religion less distant and mysterious,” said Liao, whose future plans include working with local artisans and expanding Nong Li abroad.
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