The paintings of Chen Meng-ling (
"You can easily tell how kind and generous he is by looking at the way he applies shading, as well as the choice of colors in every painting," said Chao Chang-ping (
Chen's exhibition offered the public a chance to explore 60 of his oil paintings.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CONTROL YUAN
"Every one of his paintings could be called a masterpiece. We hail him as our undisputed class leader in the painting club," Chao said, referring to the Sunny Day Painting Association (
"Having been part of the art world for years and years, Chen is more experienced in painting than any of us," Chao said.
In the face of his colleague's compliments, Chen just said that he was fervently fond of painting.
"I have been painting for more than 40 years. Although I have been a teacher and a politician, my first passion has always been painting," he said.
"Despite our heavy political duties, we get together every Friday night and people rarely miss the class. The instructor sows the seeds of art among the club's members not only by teaching them techniques, but also by broadening our horizons," Chen said.
The 70-year-old ombudsman was a high school principal early in his career, after which he was elected Taichung County commissioner for two terms. He was subsequently appointed as head of the Civil Affairs Commission of the Taiwan Provincial Government, and has acted as vice minister for the interior.
Chen became a member of the Second Control Yuan in 1993, and vice president of the Third Control Yuan six years later.
He made his debut with oil paintings in 2000 in a joint exhibition by the Fu-Tsai Painting Association. He took part in the association's exhibition for second time in 2002.
Chen has said that "art is the stimulus of the human spirit. It can purify our heart and keep society in harmony."
"A work of art combines talent, effort, patience, thought and vigor. This is what I believe and the ultimate goal that I have always pursued. Painting is a release for me and brings joy to my soul," he said.
Liu Chung-fu (
"I have been coming to the Control Yuan to exchange painting experiences with the members for almost five years. In this time Chen, with his art background, has devoted himself to creating his own style," Liu said.
Chen also attends painting classes with another master, Chen Shi-lian (
When he was commissioner of Taichung County, Chen planted a seed that has since grown up and blossomed -- the Taichung County Cultural Center, said current Taichung County Commissioner Huang Jong-sheng (
He works with a variety of subjects, ranging from nature, still life and historic sites to the countryside, Huang said.
Chen likes to use scenery from his hometown as the background of his paintings, Huang said, especially the scenery of the Tachia River and the Shihgang dam waterfall after the 9-21 earthquake.
Although he has perfectly portrayed the grandeur of the river and the waterfall, the former county commissioner cannot hide his feelings about the devastation of his home town, Huang said.
Chen has also immortalized landscapes in Canada, the Diamond Mountain in Hawaii, Glacier National Park in the US, Mount Fuji and scenes from the Mediterranean.
At Chen's exhibition, Huang said the scenery is just as beautiful as his political style, which is "clean as water and as bright as a mirror." The beautiful scenery reflects the artist's soft heart and simple character, he said.
"What he sees, hears and thinks is always full of happiness and hope," Huang said.
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