In December this year, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) will join hands with the Li Mei-shu Memorial Gallery to organize an exhibition to commemorate the 120th birthday of late artist Li Mei-shu (李梅樹). To prepare for the commemorative exhibition, NTMoFA's director Liao Jen-I (廖仁義) visited the memorial gallery to speak with Li's son, Li Ching-wen (李景文), who is also the chief executive of the gallery.
Li Mei-shu was born in 1902 in Sanxia District, Taipei. He studied western painting under Okada Saburōsuke at the most prestigious art school in Japan, Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Li's paintings were selected for many exhibitions in Taiwan and Japan and won many awards. Besides participating in art events and establishing the "Taoyang Arts Association," Li spared no effort in promoting art education. Not only did he teach at art schools but also served for many years as a juror for art exhibitions across the country, contributing greatly to the development of fine art in Taiwan. Li adopted realism as his art style, with a strong foundation in drawing and vibrant colors featuring landscape, families, and friends, showing the artist's tender feelings and affection for his hometown.
The collaboration between NTMoFA and The Li Mei-shu Memorial Gallery not only re-examines Li Mei-shu's artistic development and style but also explores the artist's dedication to the reconstruction of Sanxia Zushi Temple. Over a hundred pieces of artworks by Li Mei-shu as well as his mentor Okada Saburōsuke will be exhibited. Furthermore, NTMoFA will work with The Li Mei-shu Memorial Gallery and the Su Chiung Art Museum to curate exhibitions to showcase works by his pupil Wu Yao-chung (吳耀忠), followed by events that will be held to unfold the artist's life trajectory and explore the meaning of his works.