Taipei, March 23 (CNA) An exhibition looking back on the work and life of artist Liao Hsiou-ping (廖修平), widely known as the “godfather of modern Taiwanese woodblock printing,” is being held at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.
The exhibition opened on Saturday and is divided into three areas documenting Liao’s works as a student, artist and teacher.
Along with Liao’s woodblock print pieces, which he is best known for, the exhibition also showcases his sculptures and oil paintings.
Speaking at the exhibition’s opening, he stressed the importance of artists’ originality.
Liao, 88, a chair professor at National Taiwan Normal University, said he has always encouraged his students to explore and develop their own unqiue styles and not let his lessons interfere with their creative processes.
Hsiao Chong-ray (蕭瓊瑞), who curated the exhibition, said Liao’s works often blend tradition and modernity, fantasy with reality, and grandeur with isolation.
This often helps visitors feel happy and calm, Hsiao said.
Liao was born in Taipei in 1936. From an early age, he observed his father and older brother, both architects, drawing blueprints.
While growing up near Longshan Temple in Taipei’s Wanhua District, Liao became fascinated with the ornate paintings and patterns on the temple. These early influences came to have a profound impact on his artistic style.
Liao traveled to Japan to study painting in 1962, where he was introduced to woodblock printing. He moved to France to study at the Fine Arts Institute of Paris in 1965.
In 1969, he was commissioned to hold an exhibition at the Miami Museum of Contemporary Art. He then moved to New York, before returning to Taiwan in 1973.
Liao gained international recognition for his distinctive style that blends traditional Taiwanese elements with woodblock printing, elevating the global profile of Taiwanese woodblock art in the process.
The exhibition runs until June 29
