Chen Cheng-Po (1895-1947) was the first Taiwanese painter to be selected to participate in Japan's Imperial Art Exhibition. He was also a pioneer in the development of modern art in Taiwan. From living in Taiwan, Japan, and China, Chen Cheng-Po accumulated a wealth of understanding regarding artistic creation and energy. Especially after he took a teaching position at the Shanghai Art School and the Changming School of Art upon his graduation from the Western Painting department of the Tokyo Art School, he began to integrate old Chinese styles into his work in an effort to discover a new way to express the essence of the East. Over the history of Chen Cheng-Po's painting career, the Shanghai period is the important turning point for when his painting style changed. Therefore, research and observation of his works from this period are very valuable.

The Chen Cheng-Po Cultural Foundation has provided enormous assistance with holding this exhibition. The main works on display at the exhibition are from Chen Cheng-Po's Shanghai teaching period. The masterpiece works on display include paintings of figures, nudes, and scenery, as well as valuable ink painting gifts given by his friends and related documents among which are works to be presented to the public for the first time. This exhibition will be supplemented by a few works from when Chen Cheng-Po was studying abroad in Japan and after his return to Taiwan during the 1930s. Works from the museum's own collection, such as "Street Scene on a Summer Day," "Soochow," and "Sin-Lou" will also be on display. We hope to use an academic perspective, to deeply explore the artistic profile of Chen Cheng-Po's activities while in the Jiangnan region, south of the Yangtze river, in China, as well as to explore the course of the important changes in the style and characteristics of Chen Cheng-Po's work.