To share the beauty of Taiwan's natural landscapes, the Taipei-based National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall has invited painter Chao Tsung-kwan (趙宗冠) to hold an invitational exhibition from May 1 through June 6.
For this occasion, renowned physician-painter Chao selected 70 oil paintings and 36 gouache paintings depicting natural landscapes from all over the world. Through Chao's paintings, exhibition-goers will be able to experience his love for life and the beautiful scenery of Taiwan and world heritage sites.
Chao spent 12 years traveling, painting, and holding exhibitions around Taiwan. Author and art critic Hsieh Li-fa (謝里法) once said that Chao is the first person to truly travel everywhere in Taiwan, paint everything that he observed, and exhibit his art in its entirely.
Chao also harbors a lifelong admiration for the majestic beauty of peacocks, especially the elegance and refinement of the white and golden varieties. Although golden peacocks do not exist, they are traditionally used to symbolize wealth and prosperity. Replete with idealism and confidence, Chao's creative style is diverse and combines eastern and western influences.
His "Golden Peacock on a Walk (金孔雀府前散步)" portrays a golden fowl walking in front of the Presidential Building to indicate Taiwan's bountiful wealth. "Red Fuji Mountain (紅富士)" reproduces the sunrise on Mount Fuji during a winter morning, when the light reflected by the snow appears red. "Eternal Taichung Park (永恆的臺中公園)" uses three canvases to illustrate the spring mornings, summer afternoons, and autumn nights of the Taichung Park that is famous for its white fountain and red pavilion in the middle of a lake.
The CKS Memorial Management Office remarked that this exhibition is a tribute to Chao, born out of a deep admiration that at the ripe age of 85, the painter continues to create and inspire. In addition, the beauty of his paintings foster a deeper appreciation of Taiwan's natural surroundings and one's homeland.
‘Chao Tsung-Kwan Invitational Exhibition’
Date: May 1 – June 6, 2020
Venue: National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Address: No. 21 Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Site: https://event.culture.tw/CKSMH/