“Chen Chao-Pao-The Dynasty of Arts” organized by National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Ministry of Culture, will grandly take place at Chungshan National Gallery from today to May 3. The opening ceremony is held today (Mar 27).
With the strong personal painting style, Chen Chao-pao loves to paint female bodies because of the touching lines and beautiful figures. In the image based on western colors, the Chinese lines and strokes are applied to present the lazy looks of the females. The combination of the eastern and western styles precisely captures the beauty of female bodies and creates the new media, new topics, and new concepts. In the early years, Prof. Chen was famous for comics in the art and publishing circles of Taiwan and published the comics on current and social events and humor in the famous journals such as United Daily and Crown Magazine. To explore the new possibilities of the eastern ink painting and go global, he traveled and lived in Paris, France, in 1983 to engage in painting art creation. Afterwards, he integrated the modern ink painting and oil painting and developed his unique personal creative style. In 2002, he returned to Taiwan and started to teach in National Taiwan University of Arts. After retiring in 2012, he has kept creating and exhibiting new works until now.
Secretary General of Minister of Culture, Chen Teng-chin, on behalf of Minister Lee Yung-te, paid tribute to the artist, Chen Chao-pao, and congratulated him on the grand opening of the exhibition at National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. Secretary General Chen said Chen Chao-pao is a famous caricaturist in Taiwan as well as a contemporary painting art creator. In early years, many people must have seen his comic works in United Daily. The diverse topics including a variety of political and social issues are thought-provoking. The artist also converses with the social public through his works. He is one of the important members constructing the art history of Taiwan. Mr. Chen’s creative works from early years to his stay in France combine many skills of Chinese and western painting. He explores the new topics and new concepts of ink creation and gets rid of the painting tradition. The combination of the eastern and western aesthetic essence and the integration of the eastern and western aesthetics are full of unrestrained imagination and freedom.
Director-general of National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Wang Lan-sheng, said the connection between Prof. Chen and the hall started with the exhibition at Yat-sen Gallery in 2005. In his childhood, he was intrigued by Prof. Chen’s comic strips published in newspaper, especially the humorous pictures in the works. He is still fascinated by his natural magical painting style. Prof. Chen’s works are full of rich colors, childlike fun, and strong personal style. Animals, portraits, female bodies, or landscape are all presented with a dreamlike feeling. Take a close look, enjoy every work carefully, and feel the artist’s sharp mind. The world of his mind has been presented on the canvas through the brushes and different media.
In his speech, Director-general Wang said some of the exhibited works are caricatures. The viewers with the same experience will surely have a knowing smile and feel astonished at the artist’s stroke of genius. With the magical power, the exhibition will bring extraordinary happiness to the viewers. Welcome to visit National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and enjoy the huge magical charm of Prof. Chen’s works together.
In his appreciation speech, the artist, Chen Chao-pao, spoke of two important turning points in his painting style. One is when he moved to Paris, France, in 1983. Culturally shocked by the western painting thinking, he turned to combine the eastern ink art with the western mixed media and developed his unique painting style. The other is his imitation of nearly hundred silk paintings in Dunhuang in 1994, which affected his art expression and colors. Besides, he integrates the comic ideas, irony, and humor into his painting and endows the works with endless charm. Mr. Chen humbly said, “I am not a good speaker. But my works will talk.” Welcome to enjoy the works and feel the ideas in them.
The exhibited works include the eight series: female body series, landscape series, Buddha series, mask series, insight series, waste series, resurgence series, and flowers, birds, plants, and insects series. The south room mainly exhibits Prof. Chen’s framed works and ceramic sculpture. The north room exhibits scrolls and manuscripts. The symposium “Chen Chao-Pao’s Art Creation” will be held at Chungshan National Gallery at 2:30 on April 10. For more information, please visit the website of National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, www.yatsen.gov.tw, or call the service counter of the hall, (02)27588008, ext. 545, 546.