Hsi De-chin was born to a rich farmer's family in a remote village of a southern county of Xichuan Province, China in 1923. He dedicated his entire life to artistic creation, and then illness speeded him to his end in Taiwan on Aug. 3, 1981 at the age of 59. Hsi De-chin was still very young when he enrolled in a private village school, and at the time he had only a nascent interest in drawing pictures. Later when he became a pupil of Lin Feng-mien, he had fully immersed himself in his drawing.
席德進先生,民國十二年出生於四川省南部縣城郊外之鄉村,一位富農家庭。一生為藝術勤於創作,民國七十年八月三日因病逝世於台灣,享年五十九歲,席德進幼年入私塾,獨對繪畫產生興趣,後受教於林風眠,埋首勤於繪畫。
In 1948, Hsi moved to Taiwan with the army and found a teaching position in Taiwan's Chiayi Senior High School right away. Deeply impressed by Taiwan's subtropical natural landscape, Hsi decided to abandon traditional ways of drawing. He went out sketching nature all the time, meeting nature directly and learning from the natural world. From then on, his works were filled with the colors of reality and life. Hsi quit his teaching position in 1952, and went to Taipei to devote his every effort to a professional career in drawing. He became famous in artistic circles very quickly.
民國三十七年隨軍來台,席德進不久即任職於省立嘉義高中,受到台灣亞熱帶自然景觀強烈的震撼,決定摒棄舊有的死方法,經常出外寫生,直接面對大自然,師法大自然,開始表現真實而富有生命的色彩。民國四十一年辭去教職,北上台北開始為專業畫家之路勇往邁進,很快的在國內藝壇佔有一席之地。
In 1962, Hsi had been invited by the US Department of State to visit and observe American arts for four months. After finishing his time in the States, he flew to Europe. He saw superior artistic creations, including classic, modern and even the most avant-garde works during this time. Hsi not only derived what he lacked from this artistic treasure island, but also discovered a new direction for his creation in the future. He traveled through France, Britain, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland while he was in Europe.
民國五十一年席德進獲美國國務院邀請,赴美參觀考察藝術歷時四個多月,隨後轉往歐陸,這段歐陸參訪期間他看到了最好的藝術創作,包括古典的現代的、最前衛的藝術,從這藝術大寶庫中他汲取了所缺乏的養分,也發掘到自己未來創作的新方向,旅歐期間他的足跡踏過法國、英國、義大利、西班牙、比利時、荷蘭、德國、瑞士等地。
In 1966, Hsi's four-year visit and observation in Europe came to an end. He came back to Taiwan by way of Greece, Turkey, Thailand and Hong Kong. The time he spent in Europe could be the turning point in his artistic life. Hsi was inspired by foreign art and compelled to make a thorough self-examination of his own life and folk art.
民國五十五年他取道希臘、土耳其、泰國、香港返國,結束他旅歐參訪重要四年時光,這段期間可說是他藝術生命的轉折點,他接受彼邦藝術的啟發,促使他對生活與民俗藝術做了一次徹底的反省。
In the years following his return Hsi walked the remote and backward parts of Taiwan. He took pictures and kept track of Taiwan's civil architecture and folk arts, both precious cultural heritages that Hsi called on people to protect. Now, with the benefit of hindsight, we can see that Hsi was always on the forefront of efforts to stir up support for cultural preservation and his efforts have left their mark on history. After Hsi came back to Taiwan, what he got from Taiwanese folk arts changed the essence of his creative energies. It was while Hsi, an artist who sincerely loved Taiwan and truly put dreams into practice, was burning most brightly and trying his best to carry through his creations that he unfortunately fell ill and died. For a man with such love for life and artistic creation, it was really cruel that the life he was granted fell short. Hsi did, however, leave thousands of works behind for people to admire after he passed away. (Taipei Times)
幾年來他幾乎走遍台灣窮鄉僻壤,拍照記錄整理台灣本土民間建築、民俗藝術,他不斷呼籲保護台灣這些珍貴的文化遺產,那段時間他可以說都是站在第一線鼓吹,至今我們看起來,席德進在這方面的貢獻應有他一定歷史意義。從台灣民俗藝術等吸收的養分,對席氏回台後的創作產生基本上的變化,此種真情關愛台灣本土並確實實踐理想的藝術家,正將生命火燄點旺,打算全力展開創作之時,不幸被無情病魔所吞噬,對這不算太長的生命,以一位熱愛生命與藝術創作的人而言,實在是一件殘忍與無奈的事情,身後留下數千件作品供世人欣賞。 (台北時報)
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