An exhibition on the work and life of artist Liao Hsiou-ping (廖修平), known as the “godfather of modern Taiwanese woodblock printing,” is being held at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts until June 29.
The exhibition, which opened on March 22, is divided into three areas documenting Liao’s works as a student, artist and teacher.
Along with Liao’s woodblock print pieces, which he is best known for, the exhibition also showcases his sculptures and oil paintings.
Photo courtesy of the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts
Stressing the importance of artistic originality, Liao, a chair professor at National Taiwan Normal University, said he has always encouraged his students to explore and develop their own unique styles, and not let his lessons interfere with their creative processes.
Hsiao Chong-ray (蕭瓊瑞), who curated the exhibition, said Liao’s works often blend tradition with modernity, fantasy with reality, and grandeur with isolation.
That helps visitors feel happy and calm, Hsiao said.
Liao was born in Taipei in 1936. From an early age, he observed his father and older brother, both architects, drawing blueprints.
While growing up near Longshan Temple (龍山寺) in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華), Liao became fascinated with the ornate paintings and patterns on the temple. These early influences came to have a profound impact on his artistic style.
Liao traveled to Japan to study painting in 1962, where he was introduced to woodblock printing. He moved to France to study at the Beaux-Arts de Paris in 1965.
In 1969, he was commissioned to hold an exhibition at the Miami Museum of Contemporary Art. He then moved to New York, before returning to Taiwan in 1973.
Liao gained international recognition for his distinctive style that blends traditional Taiwanese elements with woodblock printing, elevating the global profile of Taiwanese woodblock art in the process.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
RSS