The works of Cheng Chien-Chang are centered around the theme of “land,” which refers to not only the native land of the living but also the Land Deities, guardians in Heluo language. Cheng’s concern and sentiment for the land include environmental considerations as well as historical and cultural reflections, which further refer to social and political critique. However, Cheng’s works always contain simple, mild, and constrained methods, qualities which reflect that artist’s temperament, determination, and persistence without exaggeration and deafening exhaustion.

In the works of Cheng Chien-Chang, humans and land, gods and history, are one, a universal state of coexistence and circulation. Sometimes, the fates of people are etched on the island; sometimes, the motionless gods are like towering mountains. Human beings move between space, cultivating the lands, sometimes resembling the short life spans of ephemera, but other times reminding us of the eternal Tree of Life, new branches sprouting from the old, withered trunks, and transforming into dirt after death, nurturing new life and blooms. This cycle of life and the colossal wheel of history go on and on. In the works of Cheng Chien-Chang, we catch a glimpse of the sentiment towards the land, love for the people, forgiveness towards the past, and hope for a beautiful new world.

Cheng’s land is the dwelling for the Original Spirit, while the Original Spirit enables perfection among all things. Chang’s love for the land and contemplation towards life originated from his early life experience in the city. The artist contemplated on civilization and finally returned to nature and became an avid learner of history. Cheng read historical books and fiction on Taiwanese ancestors, understanding the difficult past of our forbearers as they cultivated the wildland. The artist also understands the pressure from power and the struggles of life, which led to a caring, humorous sentiment that endures sadness without complaint, resistance without violence, and satire without ridicule. Cheng’s works inspire warmth, contemplation, serenity, and a peaceful state of mind.

The works of Cheng Chien-Chang merge folk legends and symbols, conveying mystical ideas of Animism and the cycle of life and death. However, Cheng is a devout Christian, and Christianity upholds land justice and people’s right to self-determination, which is often misunderstood as political paranoia. In truth, the works of Cheng Chien-Chang are manifestations of the central belief in faith, hope, and love.