Lin Feng-mian (林風眠) earned his reputation as a prominent Chinese artist not only for his extraordinary painting techniques, but also for his endeavor to create a unique Chinese artform by integrating the essence of the occidental art with traditional Chinese culture, according to Ho Huai-shuo (何懷碩), a celebrated Taiwanese painter and professor at the National Institute of the Arts.
“Among the host of contemporary Chinese painters, Lin was one of the very few who understood that the most exquisite art pieces cannot be achieved by pure imitation — rather, they were created by absorbing the quintessence of alien cultures with an aim of producing paintings rich in national spirits,” Ho said while attending the opening ceremony of of an exhibition of Lin's work at Taipei's Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
“Tradition is frequently seen as an obstacle to progress. Nevertheless, Lin was aware that the most valuable works of art should retain the unique characteristics of their creators's influences — neither completely forsaking Chinese tradition nor fully embracing the western style.”
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE SUN YAT-SEN MEMORIAL HALL
“For his entire life, Lin committed himself to instilling the marrow of western artforms into Chinese painting. He has established an exquisite avenue to link the conventional with the fashionable via Chinese folk art. And that's what makes Lin such an influential figure in Chinese art history,” Ho said.
Yesterday marked the first day of a special exposition featuring a total of 68 of Lin's paintings. The exhibition, commemorating what would be Lin's 100th birthday, is co-sponsored by the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, the
Lin, born in 1900 in China's Guangdong Province, sailed to Marseille in France in 1920 to study in what was seen as the undisputed center of the art education world at the time.
During his six-years in France, he was exposed to the most vibrant artistic surroundings and was captivated by the dominant artistic genres of the era — including cubism, expressionism and Fauvism.
Lin returned to China in 1926, embarking on a personal crusade to better arts education in his homeland — an endeavor which would last until his dieing days.
During the Cultural Revolution, he was tortured by the Chinese authorities and was jailed from 1969 to 1971.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE SUN YAT-SEN MEMORIAL HALL
Subsequently, he spent much of his time travelling the world painting and exhibiting his works.
He passed away in 1991 in Hong Kong at the age of 92.
Hsi The-chin (席德進), Chao Wu-chi (趙無極), and Chu Teh-chun (朱德群) are among the well-known Chinese artists influenced greatly by Lin.
His god-daughter Feng yeh (馮葉) — who lived with Lin for 30 years and studied under him — told the
“He cared a great deal for the people and his country, and he was not intimidated by the dictatorial regime. His emotion and his love were clearly portrayed in his works.”
“He considered safeguarding Chinese art as his mission in life. He told me on one occasion that a good artist should not be selfish, instead, they should be compassionate. A good artist should not be concerned about personal wealth or fame, but should always put the interests of others first,” Feng said.
Professor Ho echoed Feng's words, saying that Lin's value to Chinese society was not limited to his artistic achievements, it hinged more on his love for human beings, his sympathy for people's ordeals, and his stand against injustice and abusive authorities.
The exhibition will run until Aug. 28. Those interested telephone 02-2763-0535 for more details.
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