Solo exhibition by Zheng Jianchang

Words by Hsieh Chi-Chang

Open: May 8 2015 to June 27 2015

Location: 102 Art, Tainan

A notable feature in the history of the arts in Taiwan is that after the lifting of martial law, those artists who had experienced it entered a period where their focus was on critical examination of authority, their art part of a wider post-modernist movement. We see this among both Taiwanese locals and those who arrived after 1949. Directly or indirectly, they found ways to express suspicion and anger towards power.  Zheng Jianchang is one of these artists. He and a few art-loving friends founded ‘Taipei New Art Consortium’, and they used the urban backdrop as material, attempting to capture the connection between people and city.  

In 1983, in order to put down roots, and to gain some distance from the overwhelming influence at the time of western art, Zheng decided to return to his home county, Jiayi. After his experience of urban life in Taipei, he finally found meaning in the land and soil and history of his home patch. And it was there that he gradually established a mode of thinking for his future work, namely ‘Documenting Creation’. This allowed him to think deeply about Taiwan, reconsidering his past experience of Martial Law, an experience that came to help him treasure and value his birthplace.

Taking the role of observer is a necessary element of Zheng’s work. While acting as observer, he re-discovers himself. He self-reflects, seeking to explore meaning in life. He seeks to find joy in being alone in this place. At the same time he is conscious of a certain feedback in his work from daily activities, and from the objects that he observes, in which he finds his own reality.  

Over the years, ‘Documenting Creation’ shows Zheng’s growing ability in self-reflection. At the same time, he was experiencing a horror that people, culture and land were disappearing. In ‘Documenting Creation’ we see again and again his journey of the heart in recording the death and rebirth of parts of Taiwan, calling people to pay attention to processes of decay and to urge them participate in rescue and renewal. His works have similarities to Hayao Miyazaki’s manga creations, which are full of breath-taking and heart-touching scenes.  The visual language of his work is so rich and imaginative; yet at the same time there is evidence of deep thought, a demonstration of his thinking on reality and problems in society.

Zheng has devoted his life to this land and its human landscape. His paintings record his silent and faithful observations of the environments, land, people and culture. He also contributes his thoughts on important issues facing society. His concerns for Taiwan’s land and people will become more and more apparent as time passes. We are looking forward to seeing Zheng’s ‘Documenting Creation’.