Classical Oriental Art of the 20th Century

Liang Gallery is delighted to participate in Art Basel Hong Kong for its tenth year, presenting a special exhibition " Classical Oriental Art of the 20th Century." This exhibition delves into the colonial history of Asia from the 1920s to Japanese colonial period, and explores the first generation of Taiwanese artists who received Western art education from Japan, leading the modern art movements in Taiwan.
CHEN Cheng-po and KUO Hsueh-Hu stand as the most significant figures of achievement and contribution during Japanese colonial period. Both artists have been honored with awards from the Japan Imperial and Taiwan’s Fine Arts Awards, and they were active in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. They depicted the landscapes and cultural characteristics of Taiwan from the 1920s to 1947. The pioneering early Taiwanese art movements founded and led by these two artists has resulted in artistic achievements and significant contributions to art history.

SHIY De-Jinn graduated from the Hangzhou National Art College, where he studied under French-educated elites such as Lin Fengmian, gaining inspiration and enlightenment from Western art concepts. He moved to Taiwan in 1945 and created poetic landscape and figurative works. HSIAO Chin was educated by the avant-garde artist Li Chun-Shan. In 1955, he co-founded Taiwan’s first abstract painting group, the Ton Fan Group. In 1961, he and various Italian artists of the same period initiated the Punto International Art Movement. Their intention was to use oriental philosophy as the spiritual foundation of artistic creation. HSIAO remained active in the European art scene for over 60 years, becoming a core figure in the Chinese avant-garde within the European art field.

Chu Ko was a poet, painter, art critic, historian, literati artist and a legend. For over 30 years, Chu conducted research on bronze works at the National Palace Museum. His profound artistic achievements earned him the title of an “art revolutionist of modern ink painting." He was recognized as one of the most significant 20th-century ink painters in Taiwan and China. LEE Chung-Chung began with experiments in painting techniques and media, she eventually focused on ink rubbing and automatic methods, uncovering new forms of creative expression within traditional ink techniques and developing a unique sense of spatial conception and form.

Aluaiy KAUMAKAN excels in threads weaving, outlining ancient totems, languages, and spiritual beliefs of Taiwan’s indigenous society. Through her unique weaving, she creates pieces that are both mysterious and captivating, highlighting the characteristics of the Austronesian peoples. In recent years, her distinctive perspective as a member of Taiwan’s Paiwan indigenous tribe and her focus on land-related creations have gained international attention. For instance, she was recently invited to participate in the 2023 Summer Exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, in London, UK. These seven artists, each with their unique creative styles, represent the achievements and art development in Taiwan and Asia over the past century.

Exhibiting Artists
CHEN Cheng-po, KUO Hsueh-Hu, SHIY De-Jinn, CHU Ko, HSIAO Chin, LEE Chung-Chung, Aluaiy KAUMAKAN

Exhibition Information
BOOTH | Galleries 3E21
VENUE | HKCEC 1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island

VIP Preview
2024.03.26 (Tue.) 12:00-20:00
2024.03.27 (Wed.) 12:00-16:00
2024.03.28 (Thur.) 12:00-14:00
2024.03.29 (Fri.) 12:00-14:00
2024.03.30 (Sat.) 11:00-13:00

Vernissage
2024.03.27 (Wed.) 16:00-20:00

Public View
2024.03.28 (Thur.) 14:00-20:00
2024.03.29 (Fri.) 14:00-20:00
2024.03.30 (Sat.) 13:00-19:00