When the National Museum of Taiwan History opens in Tainan next year, the artworks and manuscripts of renowned Taiwanese comic artist Liu Hsing-chin (劉興欽) will be on display.
Liu, an inventor and artist known for his humorous comic strips that depict life in Taiwan in years gone by, yesterday gave 180 original artworks and manuscripts to the museum.
Among the works is a 5m-long ink-painting scroll that shows how local people moved house in the past and a painting featuring 100 children playing with handmade toys and games.
Liu, the son of a tea farmer, has strong roots in the rural culture of Taiwan and often rode a buffalo to school as a child. The artist has created a number of endearing comic characters such as Ah-San (阿三哥) and Big Auntie (大嬸婆), big hits in the 1960s. Liu’s work has made him a household name across Taiwan and in other Chinese-speaking countries.
In addition to working as a comic artist, he is fond of inventing things. He holds 138 national and 43 international patents.
Liu moved to the US in the 1990s to develop his skills as an inventor and to spend more time with his children, but soon found that he lacked a challenge.
He returned to Taiwan and has spent the last 10 years working on paintings that feature cultural themes and strong Taiwanese personalities.
“A person does not fully appreciate the beauty of his homeland until he has lived outside his country,” Liu, 76, said.
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