Nostalgia in the Vast Universe: Commemorative Exhibition of Chen Cheng-po
Artist(s): CHEN Cheng-po
Date: 13 Oct 2011 - 28 Feb 2012
Chen Cheng-po (1895-1947) was the first Taiwanese artist who had been selected for the Japanese Teiten (Imperial Art Exhibition) based on his paintings. Nevertheless, due to his image as a victim of the 228 Incident, most people seemed to have ignored his achievement in art. This exhibition aims to reveal Chen’s artistic expression through displaying multiple creative themes. At the exhibition, a total of 262 works will be on view, including oil paintings, gauche paintings, as well as wash sketches and drawings. Chen spent many years studying in Tokyo and teaching in Shanghai, yet he decided to return to Taiwan due to the circumstances of the time. His love for the land of Taiwan took him from Tamsui in Taipei to Maobitou in Pingtung, leaving artistic traces all along the way. Chiayi, his hometown, was the source of his creativity. The exhibition attempts to demonstrate the strong emotions that he had for his hometown Chiayi. Among the over 100 oil paintings, nearly 60% of them are on public display for the first time.