臺南美術史

Liao Chi-Chun, Dusk at Yingchun Gate, from the catalogue of the 2nd Taiten (Taiwan Art Exhibition), 1928.

This work by Liao Chi-Chun (1902-1976) was selected into the 2nd Taiten (1928) with the status of review exemption. Because Liao was awarded Special Selection with his Still Life (靜物), so he was granted this honor. Liao was accepted into and studied painting at the Normal Department, Tokyo Fine Arts School in 1924. He also organized the Red Sun Painting Society (赤陽美術協會) with Chen Cheng-Po (陳澄波) and the Red Island Society (赤島社) with Chen Chih-Chi (陳植棋), actively engaging in artistic creation and joining art exhibitions. After he graduated in 1927, he returned to Taiwan and began teaching at the Tainan Presbyterian Senior High School (長老中學; now Chang Jung Senior High School). The subject of this painting is the Yingchun Gate (now the Great East Gate of Tainan City) that was near the school. The entire painting has the East Gate as the center, and displays a sense of perspective. The curved lines in the painting are reminiscent of the semi-abstract Fauvist style. The large tree on the right is rendered the focal point probably to stabilize the composition. Back then, the East Gate was a crucial gateway. The painting delineates people’s everyday activity—the locals were riding bicycles, walking, or on a horse carriage, demonstrating a simple and plain air.

References:
Lee, Shu-Pei. “A Study of Landscapes of Tainan in the Catalogues of the Taiten and the Futen during the Period of Japanese Rule.” The 2022 NCAF Visual Arts Grant for Study and Research – 2nd Phase, 2023.
TBMC Database. “Taiwan Art Exhibition. A View from the Exhibition. What These Eyes Have Seen.” Taiwan Nichi Nichi Shinpo (Taiwan Daily News), 1928 (page 4).

Liao Chi-Chun
Liao Chi-Chun (1902-1976) was born in Fengyuan, Taichung. In 1923, he was accepted into the Department of Normal Education at Tokyo Fine Arts School (now Tokyo University of the Arts), where he was mentored by Tanabe Itaru (田邊至, 1887-1968) and received solid foundational training in sketch drawing. At that time, Fauvism and Cubism had already become increasingly well-known due to the advocacy of private art groups, such as the “Nika Association” (二科會) and “Sanka” (三科), through which Liao learned about these avant-garde art trends. In 1925, he co-founded the “Chi-Yang (Red Sun) Western-style Painting Society” (赤陽洋畫會) with Chen Cheng-Po (陳澄波, 1895-1947) and Yen Sui-Long (顏水龍, 1903-1997), which later merged with the “Chi-Hsing (Seven Stars) Painting Group” (七星畫壇) in northern Taiwan and became the “Chi-Dao (Red Island) Society” (赤島社). After graduating, Liao settled down and began teaching in Tainan from 1927 to 1936. He was deeply influenced by Tainan’s social milieu and ambiance, and eventually became the artist selected for the Taiten and the Futen with the most landscapes featuring Tainan’s scenery. During Umehara Ryuzaburo’s (梅原龍三郎, 1888-1986) several visits to Taiwan after 1933 for tourism and serving as a juror, Liao was the one who received Umehara and accompanied him on painting trips to Tainan, during which he created a few works featuring the Confucius Temple with similar composition. In 1934, Liao again co-founded the “Tai-Yang Art Association” (臺陽美術協會) with Chen Cheng-Po and Yen Shui-Long. Later, Liao moved to Taipei in 1947 to teach at Taiwan Provincial Teachers College (now National Taiwan Normal University). It was during this period that he established the Yunhe Studio (雲和畫室) on Yunhe Street near his residence. The founding members of the “Fifth Moon Art Group” (五月畫會), which was founded in 1957 with Liao’s encouragement, had studied painting with Liao at this very art studio.

Reference
Lin, Mun-Lee (ed.). The Everlasting Bloom: Rediscovering Taiwanese Modern Art. Taipei City: Museum of National Taipei University of Education, 2021.