Author:

Size:Length:88 x Width:52 (cm)

Size description：108x71x3.2(含框)

Introduction：Tsai Yu (1947–) was born in Nantou County. His courtesy names are Lo-shan and Yu-san. He graduated from the National Taiwan University of Arts and the Department of Fine Arts at Chinese Culture University, received a master's degree in the arts from the University of Tsukuba, Japan, and serves as full professor in the Department of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy at National Taiwan University of Arts and chairman of the Taiwan Artists' Association. After completing junior high school, he devoted himself to ink painting, studying successively under Lu Fu-ting, Ou Hao-nien, Chiang Chao-shen, and other masters during his education. In 1983 he traveled to the University of Tsukuba, Japan, for advanced study, where he mastered kana calligraphy; the four clearly differentiated seasons in Japan and the abundance of natural color led him to break with the traditional literati painting concept of "ink divides into five colors," and his experience of painting from life outdoors gave rise to his “color” series. He has been invited to participate in numerous major exhibitions, exhibiting in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Tsai's creative practice is guided by two principles: "intentionality" and "spontaneity." "Intentionality" means establishing a creative approach through precise and deliberate planning; "spontaneity" means allowing the natural and unpremeditated, but requires the foundation of "intentionality" before "spontaneous" creation can be successfully realized. After returning to Taiwan, he began to use Taiwanese themes for his "Vivid Color" series creation; deeply saddened by the destruction wrought by the 921 Earthquake upon his homeland, he undertook the "Houses Series," expressing his concern for his hometown and working to preserve old buildings; during production of the "Old Houses Series," he created the "mottled cun technique" by mixing wax and ink.

This work was shown in the "Glimpses of Democracy" special exhibition. The brushwork is strong and powerful; the thick strokes and the texture of the memorial hall evoke the characteristics of the mottled cun technique, symbolizing the passage of decades and the traces of freedom and democracy's development. The quiet, solemn quality of the large tree rendered in concentrated dry brushwork, and the grey-toned sky, convey a sense of peace and serenity representing social harmony. The colophon in Tsai Yu's distinctive "painted calligraphy" style brings vitality to the work’s atmosphere.

Accession Number:PT09782200

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