Oil Painting

1972

Length:72.5 x Width:60 (cm)

Yeh Huo-Cheng (1908-1993, Fengyuan, Taichung) graduated from Taipei Second Normal School (now National Taipei University of Education), where he studied under Ishikawa Kinichiro (1871-1945). He later served as an elementary school teacher and principal, and was director of the Department of Industrial Design at Ming Chi Institute of Technology. Yeh’s works were frequently selected for the Taiwan Fine Arts Exhibition during the Japanese colonial period, and he also received awards from the Taiwan Provincial Art Exhibition. A lifelong advocate for art education, he was a member of the Tai-Yang Art Society and the Chinese Artists Association, served as chair of the Republic of China Oil Painting Association, and founded both the Huludun Art Research Society and the Niumatou Painting Society. He played a major role in promoting the art movement in central Taiwan.
Yeh Huo-Cheng is known for his oil paintings, often exploring themes such as portraiture, landscapes, and still life. In his still lifes, he adopts a bold, expressive approach marked by unique color choices and vigorous brushwork that reflect influences of both Expressionism and Cubism. This piece presents a tabletop arrangement of objects including a vase, a bowl, a bonsai, and assorted fruits. A folding screen in the background completes the setting, which is composed with careful precision. Yeh employs reverse perspective to render the tabletop, giving the work a dynamic sense of space. His brushwork is forceful and rugged, and the thick application of oil paint creates a palpable texture that enhances the materiality of each object. The artist contrasts vivid whites in the vase and tablecloth with deep tones in the table and screen, creating a strong play of light and shadow. The resulting atmosphere is one of calm strength, rustic charm, and quiet elegance.

Accession number:20170300139