The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMFA) on Jan. 22 held an unboxing ceremony for the sculpture of "Teijiro Yamamoto" by Taiwanese artist Huang Tu-shui (黃土水), which the city government of Sado in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, has agreed to lend to the NTMFA to restore, replicate and exhibit.
Those present at the ceremony included Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te and Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌).
Huang Tu-shui, who lived from 1895 to 1931, was the first modern sculptor from Taiwan to study Western sculpture at the Tokyo Fine Arts School in Japan, as well as the first Taiwanese artist whose works were selected—four times altogether—for the Japanese Imperial Art Exhibition.
Huang's sculpting technique which presents the human body and figure in a realistic way was able to convey the spirit of classical Western sculpture. His artistic achievement served as a prelude to Taiwan’s new art movement.
In addition to making a living as an artist, Huang was also commissioned by several Japanese noblemen to create bronze busts—four of which are currently in Japan.
With the assistance of Taiwanese dancer Chang Su-chen (張素真), who has resided in Japan for long years, the NTMFA signed an agreement with the Sado city government in May 2020 for a three-year loan and a NTMFA-led restoration of the sculpture.
Yamamoto was a Sado-born politician who partook in the preparatory work for the establishment of Taiwan Seito (台灣製糖株式會社), the first modernized sugar factory in Taiwan during Japanese rule, and subsequently served as the president of the company.
According to Culture Minister Lee Yung-te, Huang, an important figure in Taiwanese art history, can rightfully be considered the "father of Taiwanese sculpture."
Even though Huang started out in Japan, he championed the need for Taiwan to develop its own artistic style and had, contributed significantly to the Taiwan New Cultural Movement in the 1920s, Lee said.
Lee noted that talented artists are valued through the support given by the government's "Reconstruction of Taiwan's Art History" program.
He explained that by having Huang's work restored and exhibited at the NTMFA, the government not only pays tribute to Huang’s legacy, but also helps start a new chapter in Taiwan-Japan cultural exchanges.
The NTMFA will continue to arrange works by Huang Tu-shui to be shown in Taiwan so as to make him better known to the public, Lee added.
Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang pointed out NTMFA's role as a window into Taiwanese art, and emphasized the importance of reconstructing Taiwan’s art history.
Tsai vowed that both he and the Legislative Yuan will continue to support the budget planning of the Ministry of Culture.