Close-up: Contemporary Art from Taiwan

Close-up: Contemporary Art from Taiwan presents an exhibition of eight contemporary artists representing a broad spectrum of Taiwanese contemporary art from painting, photography, video and mixed media. The work of these artists deals with aspects of the history, culture, politics and the social milieu which make up contemporary life in Taiwan. The exhibition explores the rich, if sometimes troubled history of Taiwan; it’s colonial past through to its present status as an economic powerhouse.

The artists chosen for this exhibition represent different aspects of Taiwan’s history and culture. The mixed media works of Wu Tien-Chang draw on nostalgic feelings for the past to comment on contemporary Taiwanese society and identity. The paintings of Yu Peng also deal with history and identity. His “literati style” ink paintings are a whimsical and theatrical blend of the modern and the classical. Taiwan’s ethnic diversity is examined in a series of photographs by Hou Shur-Tzy entitled Guess Who You Are. In this series the artist interviewed and documented people from various ethnic groups who have contributed to Taiwan’s success, but are rarely acknowledged. Yao Jui-Chung makes a satirical comment on Taiwan’s political relations with China in his series of photographs titled Attacking the mainland-action series. Using a documentary style, Chien Fu-Yu looks at the contribution of women to Taiwan culture, economics and society. Her portraits of ‘outstanding women of Taiwan’ overturn the traditional image of women, especially the stereotypical ideas of women in traditional Taiwan and Asian society.

Yuan Goang-Ming’s video projection Fish on Dish, is a metaphoric representation of both the political history and situation of Taiwan. It is also a comment on the psychological restrictions placed on and created by ourselves. Chen Shun-Chu, who has for many years depicted his family in his photographs, explores family relations in Asian culture. Here, he takes a nostalgic look at family and its relation to society. Liu Shih-Fen’s drawings on medical texts refer to her experience of the medical profession, where she works as a nurse. The drawings also look at the body in both the physical and spiritual sense.

The work of the artists in this exhibition is only a small selection of Taiwanese contemporary art. Although limited it does provide a glimpse into the ideas, issues and concerns that have shaped the contemporary art of Taiwan in the 1990’s.

A catalogue was produced on the occasion of this exhibition with contributions by Greg Bellerby, Mun-Lee Lin, Ying-Ying Lai, Hill Gates, Lou Shu-Jun, and Liu Mei-Ling.