Curator: WANG I-WEN

In his 2023 series entitled “Borders．Crests”, Yang Shang-feng brought his reflections on these topics - were gained over many years in working in fashion design, iron sculpture, synthetic wood, paper and mixed media. His experiences allowed him to create objects which could be strong but light, stable but also gracefully elegant: abstractions of his thoughts and inner world. 

While from a distance, his work looks as if hard metal grasps tightly on wall in a flying motion; or on close examination, his sculpture looks like broken iron pieces, crowded together, resembling the crashing of water on rocks, generating broken waves, their peaks pushing and overlapping, one after another

靜觀/凝視/天地所共有的形體

鄭宏章

　　繪畫與凝視是以一種雙向的交互作用，一種間歇改變彼此的串連運動。一次次將光線照映入眼睛的影像透過畫筆描繪在畫幅上，這樣的積累讓我們對世界的認知隨著經驗而加深厚度、視線也能更寬廣地涵蓋更多的空間維度。

　　當然繪畫不只限於事物顯露的表象。以繪畫工具在畫面上留下的痕跡、各種細碎的線索，能夠傳遞心靈震動的能量。這些量能得以物質的形式留存，作為介質傳遞藝術家的精神世界。

　　靜觀世界，傾聽空氣中的耳語，並在韻律與節奏中找到與世界共存的方式。以凝視對應宇宙的變化；以座標丈量方向，並以沈澱的心靈書寫那些無法名狀的波動。

郭書瑜

　　創作之所以有趣，正是因為它能夠反映與傳遞個人對事件的態度，一直以來筆者在創作中誠實面對自我的想望，將個人無法用語言文字理清的、不願告人的，以一團曖昧隱晦的人物打包呈現。畫面中如同麵團的人物自2021年起，融入個人的生活經驗、觀察與想像，甚至與觀者交換故事，緩慢的發酵，將關注的課題從自身與框架間的關係，轉移到個人價值思考上。

　　繼前陣子的「理想生活」系列後，本次以「有用的人」為主軸，描繪的是在過度努力的社會風氣下，有許多客觀標準，能夠方便的量化一個人的價值，人們也在無形中參照這些標準來衡量自己，無意義的行為幾乎可以被視為一種浪費，如果說天生我材必有用，人們似乎更應該要把握自己的那一道光，好好地在時間內發揮最大價值，越有效率越好。然而從「有用的人」的角度，主觀的看待生活中無所事事的時刻，一方面在內心譴責無效生活的浪費，一方面難掩對於總有些人能夠自在地浪費，其實感到相當羨慕。

　　人們在努力追求高效率時想著好爭取片刻的空暇時光，卻在空暇時想著：據說偶爾放空有時候更能提升效率。就連想要無所事事的能力都已經退化，即便說服自己停下腳步，空出一段時間什麼也不做，心跳與呼吸不會停止，頭髮跟指甲也不斷以不可見的進度生長，想像努力文化已深植生物細胞之中，如同搭上一班無法停止的列車，眼角可以瞥見巷弄小路間的浪漫，卻只能直往目的地前進。

Art and Variation – Exhibition of Chu-Sheng Yeh’s Work

Hsien-Yiu Tsai

Chu-sheng Yeh, a graduate of the Madrid Royal Art Academy of Spain, is an avant-garde artist whose ideas have been an essential driving force in the development of modern art in Taiwan. Over the past four decades since 1980, Yeh’s thoughts in the classroom have inspired countless students in the creation of modern and contemporary art. As to the practice of art, Yeh’s pioneering attitude remains unchanged:

“Art is my language and form, which I use to express my central thoughts and to communicate.’’ ─ Chu-Sheng Yeh

Chu-sheng Yeh uses different forms of art to express the complicated feelings of individuals. His early artworks explore the relationship between human beings and the natural, living environment. These works are of two main types: painting with mixed media, and installations. Both types achieve expressive effect though the materials used.

In the past ten years, after undergoing much transformation externally and internally, and after undertaking much reflection on the twists and turns of life, he looked inwardly to search for the real meaning of art. The understanding he gained, returning to the essence of life itself, has been reflected in a series of exhibitions: in 2015, “Submerged, Bursting Forth”; in 2017, “Art and Meaning – Chu-Sheng Yeh’s Works of Art” and “Joy, Life and Art – Chu-Sheng Yeh’s Works of Art”; in 2019 “A Journey through Art – Exhibition of Chu-Sheng Yeh’s Oil Paintings” and “Trial and Rebirth – Exhibition of Chu-Sheng Yeh’s Oil Paintings”; and in 2021 “From 2012 to 2021”.

And now in 2023, we are hosting his latest exhibition “Art and Variation – Chu-Sheng Yeh’s Work.” As with previous exhibitions, this is a dialogue between the artist and art in a journey towards the rediscovery of authenticity. Chu-sheng Yeh once said: “My work has been evolving all the time, and there has been no limitation in its frame of reference. I use ideas and concepts to set up styles, rather than the other round. Metaphysical style is something we should all pursue.”

There are 22 pieces in this exhibition. They include 12 works from the “Metamorphosis” series which started from 2021 and ended in 2022. From these works we can see the challenge that the artist puts on himself. “Metamorphosis” can also be regarded as “reverse-change” because every new work challenged the form of previous work. Although at each stage we see some shape of “transformation”, it is rather more about “putting down”: withdrawing from existing forms and creative techniques, and starting over again with new ones.

As Alberto Giacometti said: “Truth seems hiding behind a layer of thin veil. After the layer is removed, one after another then re-appears. However, I am getting closer by one step every day.” When Chu-Sheng Yeh gets rid of layers of veils, what is left on the picture is the first cycle of original and initial life of the chaotic universe. Lao Tzu said: “Dao is something without shape, which seems both to exist and not exist.” This means there appear to be some shapes and objects, within a confusing universe. Lao Tzu also said: “The dao reveals operates through the opposite direction; weakness is where dao exercises and works to support.” When putting away all restrictions on form, Yeh’s principle of creation mirrors his philosophy of life: reflecting emotions, truthfully and momentarily, while returning to the origin of innocence.

Glance back – Light, Shadow and Slowness

The tranquil prospect of Chang Wen-Ching

Curator: Tsai Hsien-Yiu

Opening

Gaze, though short, is peaceful. Long perspective allows me to keep distance from what I saw, just like the scenery on the skyline during my travels. A reflected view goes into my eyes unintentionally, but calms and soothes my unsettled mood: from up and down, from fluctuation to peace. Finally, I see light and colour through cloud, across the skyline. I am also able to observe my daily practices and experiences.

Life should be able to take a break at a particular moment and space, if the moment and space are worthy. In so doing, we are able to reflect in ease and peace. Emptiness should be persevered in daily life, because it allows feelings to add colours. Such desires should be rewarded in the flow of life, because they are humble things.

Therefore, I reorganise myself and prepare to depart. I look back to the past and try to re-capture the lost time with my own interpretations and stories … I want to share them. I do so through paintings: some are as surreal as a collage, some as abundantly elegant as poetry. Colours and melodies are added into life. Tales and stories are passed on. 

Timeless deep travel, monophonic tunes

The window itself becomes the view, access to the world; and yet it also transforms into a theatre within our imagination. In paused time, it seems like works of art are out for us to contemplate. Only aloneness is left as heart turns simple. And only monophonic tunes remain in the throbbing heart. The earth becomes the platform, while the blue sky is the curtain: sun, moon and stars are lights. When the curtain is opened, pictures come one after another, reflected in deep thought and projected on the stage.

There is a cloud in every picture in the “Meditation” and “Windows” series. Sometimes the cloud is outside the windows, sometimes inside. The cloud carries the dream and flies along the skyline, waiting for the dream to come true. The scenery outside the windows embraces endless imagination, self-appreciation, and the resonance of internal monophony.

Slowness, Light, and Shadow

Where light and shadow meet, it is at the point of ‘black’, where the curtain of the universe opens, in complete silence and emptiness. At this moment there is no separation between shape and shadow; only a wait for light to break through sky and separate it from earth. The works of the “Silence” series are made to express the first light of day. When the dark curtain of the sky is lifted, time is not detected as it moves so slowly; and yet every subtle change indicates a shift in time and space, from coldness to gentle warmness. The falling, hair-like light wakes up the world.

There is a deep love of ‘slowness’ in daily life, a pace which is completely the opposite of hurry. In embracing slowness, the soul gains an opportunity to calm and settle; the movement and flow of life can be oriented. It turns out that the flow of light and shadow is not only part of daily practice, but also determines the pace of life. In the universal tempo of slowness, light and shadow meet and merge together, reflecting each other and eventually becoming one.