An iconic nude sculpture "Water of Immortality (甘露水)," which was lost for over half a century, is once again brought to the public eye in the exhibition "Lumière : The Enlightenment and Self-Awakening of Taiwanese Culture (光──臺灣文化的啟蒙與自覺)," at the Museum of National Taipei University of Education (MoNTUE).
Late sculptor Huang Tu-shui (黃土水) carved the statue in 1921, however, it was later abandoned at the Taichung Railway Station for unknown reasons in 1958. The work was saved by a local family surnamed Chang and kept in the nearby family clinic, though it was later moved to a factory in Wufeng in 1974, where it remained in the family's hands until being discovered by Professor Lin Mun-lee (林曼麗) from the Taipei Municipal University of Education.
Chang Shi-wen (張士文), a descendant of Chang Hong-biao's family, attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition on Dec. 17. MoNTUE shared a fragment of Chang Shi-wen's speech on its Facebook page, which moved many netizens deeply.
Chang shared that the sculpture, which he addresses as "older sister," was moved into his home while he was in elementary school. He never knew "older sister's" real name until he read an article during senior high school, which referred to the sculpture as "Water of Immortality" and that it disappeared from the public eye.
Chang Shi-wen recalled his father saying that it will be time to return "Water of Immortality" to the country once the native Taiwanese and mainlanders in Taiwan start to respect each other. His father also refused to make a replica of "Water of Immortality" out of respect for the late sculptor Huang Tu-shui. Chang recalled that while he was a student in university, senior artists came to their home to discuss how to deal with "Water of Immortality." However, upon hearing his father's perspective, they were assured.
In his speech, Chang stated that he can no longer call the sculpture "older sister" now that it has become the most precious cultural asset in Taiwan, and bid farewell to "Water of Immortality."
The physical exhibition "Lumière : The Enlightenment and Self-Awakening of Taiwanese Culture" will run until Apr. 24, 2022.
> Long-lost nude sculpture by late iconic sculptor Huang Tu-shui to be displayed in Taipei