Taiwan-based artist Liu Kuo-sung (劉國松), widely regarded as the father of modern Chinese ink painting, has been elected as a new foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the academy said.
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences — also known as the American Academy — is one of the oldest and most prestigious honorary societies in the world and is a leader for policy research in the US.
The academy council annually elects fellows in recognition of their efforts for the advancement of science or its applications that are scientifically or socially distinguished. Election to the academy is considered one of the nation’s highest honors.
Photo: CNA, courtesy of National Taiwan Normal University
Liu, who was elected for the arts category this year, is the first academy member from Taiwan.
To be elected, candidates must be nominated by current members. They are then evaluated on the contributions they have made to both to their field and society during their career.
The academy has more than 4,600 fellows and 600 foreign honorary members, reflecting a wide range of disciplines and professions, including mathematics, physical and biological sciences, medicine, social sciences and humanities, business, government, public affairs, and the arts.
Among the academy’s fellows are more than 250 Nobel Prize laureates and 60 Pulitzer Prize winners.
This year, 213 members were elected with 176 of them named fellows and 37 foreign honorary members, the academy’s Web site said.
The new fellows are to be inducted at a ceremony on Oct. 8 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Liu, 84, graduated from National Taiwan Normal University in 1956 and established the Fifth Moon Painting Society in the same year.
The society focuses on the modernization of Chinese painting, the university said.
As a pioneer of modern Chinese painting, Liu has dedicated his life to the exploration and invention of non-traditional ink painting techniques, challenging the conventions of contemporary ink painting and promoting its growth, the university said.
Liu’s works are part of the collections of more than 80 museums and art collectors internationally, including the British Museum and the Palace Museum in Beijing, the university said.
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