臺南美術史

Kou Kaiju (Chiang Hai-Shu), Market in Front of the Temple, 1934. Oil on canvas. Source of image: Catalogue of the 8th Taiten (Taiwan Art Exhibition).

This work by Kou Kaiju (Chiang Hai-Shu; 1897-unknown) was selected into the 8th Taiten (Taiwan Art Exhibition) in 1934. Kou began teaching at his alma mater – the Tainan Second Public School (now Liren Elementary School) in 1918, and was a colleague of artist Kuo Po-Chuan (郭柏川), with whom he would exchange thoughts about painting. He also joined activities of various art groups to improve his skills, among which were the “Nankosha” (南光會, literally “Southern Light Society”) and the “Green Banyan Society” (綠榕會). In 1929, he transferred to Tainan’s Meiji Public School (now Cheng Kung Elementary School). During this period, he had been selected into the Taiten several times. This painting delineates the bustling scene of a local market (now the Mazulou Tianhou Temple [媽祖樓天后宮]). Part of the temple’s roof can be seen in the image. The artist used thicker, heavier brushstrokes, canopies, irregularly arranged structures, and a dense crowd to visually focalize on the market in the foreground, creating a rambunctious, prosperous scene characterized with a great momentum. After 1940, the artist transferred to Kaohsiung, and in 1963, joined the Southern Fine Arts Association (臺灣南部美術協會). His work was featured in the Exhibition of Southern Fine Arts Association (南部展) in 1966. Throughout his life, he had consistently created art and steadfastly but quietly improved his art.

Reference:
Lin, Yen. “Write the Name Three Times Because You Got It Wrong! A Search of Kou Kaiju’s Past Activities.” Missing Pieces – Taifuten Historical Archives. https://www.creative-comic.tw/en/special_topics/273 (viewed on 2023.9.21)

Kou Kaiju (Chiang Hai-Shu)
Kou Kaiju (Chiang Hai-Shu, 1897-?) was born in Tainan. He graduated from the Tainan Second Public School (臺南第二公學校, also known as Takara Public School [寶公學校], and now Liren Elementary School), and was accepted into the National Language School, Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan (臺灣總督府國語學校) in the same year, where he became Chen Cheng-Po’s (陳澄波) classmate and was taught by Ishikawa Kinichiro (石川欽一郎) together with Chen. In 1917, he graduated from the Second Division of the Public School’s Normal Department and began teaching at his alma mater, where he became Kuo Po-Chuan’s (郭柏川) colleague. In 1927, he joined the Tainan-based Western-style painting societies, first the “Nankosha” (南光社, literally “Southern Light Society”) and then the “Green Banyan Society” (綠榕會). In the 1st Taiten, the artist had already been selected for his work, The Final Light (最後之光). A reporter at the Mandarin Taiwan Nichi Nichi Hsin Po commented that “the oil painting, The Final Light, by Kou Kaiju showed a distinctive impressionist style. Kou is from Tainan, his work and Kuo Po-Chuan’s Overlooking Hsiao Wang Temple (蕭王廟遠眺) are sufficient in terms of representing where they are from.” The artist had been selected for the Taiten and the Futen five times with works mainly featured ancient architecture and temples. From 1929 to 1937, he transferred to teach at Meiji Public School (明治公學校, now the Cheng Kung Elementary School), became a colleague of the artist Kyo Kin-Rin (Hsu Chin-Lin, 許錦林); and again in 1940, he transferred to Kaohsiung’s Fengshan Public School (鳳山公學校, now the Fengshan Elementary School). After World War II, Kou served as the principal of Fangshan Elementary School and Jen Mei Elementary School. He also participated in the Exhibition of Southern Fine Arts Association (南部展) of 1963 and 1966.

Reference
1. Huang, Tung-Fu. “Tainan Art Museum’s Final Research Report of Tainan-based Artists (Incl. Taiwanese and Japanese) in Government-sponsored Art Exhibitions during the Period of Japanese Rule.” Unpublished, 2019.
2. Lin, Yen. “Write the Name Three Times Because You Got It Wrong! A Search of Kou Kaiju’s Past Activities.” https://www.creative-comic.tw/en/special_topics/273 (viewed on 2024.3.29)
3. “The Opening Ceremony is Today. Reading the Paintings in the Taiwan Art Exhibition. Native Artists from this Island Must Make More Effort.” Taiwan Nichi Nichi Shinpo (Mandarin version), 1927.10.27 (page 4).