Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Arts of Taiwan
Taiwan has a rich and varied art scene covering familiar Western genres
such as painting, film, dance, ceramics and literature. Local arts are either
wholly indigenous or evolved from Chinese genres, carried over by waves
of immigration.
The most visited museum in Taiwan is the National Palace Museum in Taipei. As out-
standing as this is, it's important to realise that nothing in the collection was made by a
Taiwanese, or for a Taiwanese. By all means visit (it's a world-class museum), but just
don't think it tells you much, if anything, about local art and culture.
The Yingge Ceramics Museum covers not just the history of pottery and ceramics in
Taiwan, but also showcases the current leading masters and their efforts to keep expand-
ing the boundaries of their art.
Visual Arts
Modern Art
Western styles of painting were introduced to Taiwan by the Japanese. Ishikawa Kinichiro
(1871-1945), now considered the father of modern Taiwanese art, taught local painters to
work the tropical landscapes of Taiwan in a French impressionistic style. Ishikawa's stu-
dents included Li Mei-shu (1902-83) who is best known for his work overseeing the re-
construction of Sansia's masterful Tzushi Temple.
During the 1970s a strong nativist movement, sometimes referred to as 'Taiwan Con-
sciousness', began to develop. Artists found inspiration in Taiwanese folk traditions and
the arts and crafts of indigenous tribes. The sculptor Ju Ming (born 1938), whose stone
and woodwork can be seen in his personal Juming Museum on the north coast, is the most
well-known artist from this period.
The opening of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the ending of martial law were two of
the most significant events in the 1980s. For the first time, artists could actively criticise
the political system without suffering consequences. And they had a public venue to do so.
Since then alternative art spaces have blossomed and Taiwan's participation on the in-
ternational stage has been well established. Artists regularly exhibit at top venues such as
the Venice Biennale, and work in multimedia as much as traditional forms.
