A Taiwanese fine arts show featuring paintings, wood sculptures, artisanal jewelry, and photography will greet Berlin exhibitiongoers from June 20 through July 10 under the banner of "Mountains, Trees, Flowers, Birds."
The theme "mountains" will be represented by Tseng Ying-tung (曾英棟), an oil painter whose works graced the advertisement billboards of New York's Times Square last year.
"Mountains in Taiwan are like our mother," Tseng noted of the mountainous island. Fittingly, his painting "Jade Mountain" will not only be showcased at the Berlin exhibition but also enter the permanent collection of the representative office of Taiwan in Germany.
Chung Li-kai (鍾立愷) was chosen to represent "wood," his choice of creative medium. He is best known for his detailed and seamless relief applications by embedding a lighter-colored wooden décor onto a darker shade of timber.
"All my materials are from old or used wooden materials ― I want to rejuvenate those," said Chung, who sees potential for "a new life" in all used or discarded lumber. His new work "Taiwan Forests" will be displayed in Berlin.
Chen Jun-wei (陳均維), bearer of the "flowers" theme, combines artisanal gold-smithing with computer technology like 3D printing and modeling. His technical knowledge of crafts bestows a humanistic, user-oriented design.
"I wish to connect people's hearts with my work," Chen said of his jewelry pieces, including "Orchid Flower" that will debut in Berlin. His choice of precious metal also reflects the roots of his hometown Tainan, which once was the capital of Taiwan's gold crafts from the end of 19th century through 1980s.
Andrew TC Chang (張德謙), a career priest and photographer who found divinity in the beauty of nature, will embody the avian theme of the exhibition. The retired reverend is an avid bird watcher who counts the little egret as one of the most iconic species from Taiwan.
The exhibition curated by consultant Angela Hsu, who hopes to introduce Taiwan to Europe through the exhibiting of a hundred Taiwanese artists, will run at the Taipei Representative Office in the Federal Republic of Germany from Jun 20 through July 10.
‘Besuch Taiwan in Berlin 2018’