Oil Painting

1997

Length:145.5 x Width:112 (cm)

Yuan Kuo-Hao (b. 1949, Fengyuan, Taichung) graduated from the Department of Industrial Design at Ming Chih Institute of Technology (now Ming Chi University of Technology). He was mentored by prominent artists including Yeh Huo-Cheng (1908-1998), Chan I-Hsiu (1931-1998), and Tseng Wei-Chih (1930-2016). Yuan’s works have received numerous awards, including recognition from the Taiyang Fine Arts Exhibition, the National Oil Painting Exhibition, the Kaohsiung Fine Arts Exhibition, the Taiwan Provincial Art Exhibition, the Nanying Fine Arts Exhibition, and the Grand Prize at the Asia Art Exhibition in Tokyo. He has actively participated in various art societies, including the Zhongxing Fine Arts Association, Huludun Fine Arts Research Society, Niumatou Painting Society, Southeast Fine Arts Society, and Taiyang Fine Arts Association.
Casting Iron, completed in 1997, captures a vivid scene inside an iron foundry. The glowing blast furnace serves as the visual focal point. One worker uses a ladle to collect molten iron as it pours from the furnace, while another sits beside it, preparing to block the flow. In the background, a third figure pours the molten metal into a sand mold. Scattered around the factory floor are tools such as baskets and round shovels, underscoring the labor-intensive environment. The overall palette is subdued and gray, evoking the gritty atmosphere of the factory, yet the mouth of the furnace and the molten iron glow with golden-yellow light—highlighting the intense heat. The workers, shirtless or draped with towels over their shoulders, are portrayed with realism and respect, offering a faithful depiction of the grueling physical demands and harsh conditions of the foundry.

Accession number:20190100050