Interview with Artists (3)
Listening to artists sharing their favorite things and attitude towards life brings us closer to the artists!
In this interview we will introduce you ten artists: (1) Hsu Tung Lung, (2) Sinba Hsu, (3) Yan Kuo-Rung, (4) Chien Jui-Ying, (5) Ho Yeh-Chun, (6) Lee U-Fo, (8) Aer Lu, (9) Small Sa, (10) Ui Ui Liu.
~ Coincidental opportunities can bring unexpected surprises. ~
From left: Chairperson Carol Chou, Artist Hsu Tung-Lung,
Art Director Professor Lee Sun-Don
The paintings I presented in this exhibition have more vibrant colors than the ones before. For this abstract drawing, I call it “The accidental effect of automatic writing”—that is, I didn’t have any preconceived ideas or thoughts at the time of painting. The inspiration would come naturally after the first stroke which then directed me where to go afterwards. I may often change my mind during the process. I call it “coincidental opportunities” because they often bring unexpected surprises.
Like this painting “Dawn”, it has five or six variations of yellow. Van Gogh had copied a painting of Jean-Francois Millet's where two men resting in a rice heap. The colors were very beautiful. There were many variations of yellow in a pile of straws and looked just like a golden earth.
~ A collector once said, “If you draw objects in pairs, it would be easier for you to find the better half.” ~
The works I exhibited are based on the birds I have studied in the recent years. The only difference from previous series is my state of mind. In previous works, there was usually only one bird in the painting. Later, some collectors talked to me about the Book of Change and Buddhism. They said, “That is why you have always been alone.” “If your works can show pairs of birds, it would be easier for you to find the other half.” So I started to work on a new series about love. I am presenting three new paintings this year – the “Swan Series.” Swans are common in Taiwan and tend to remind people about love.
~ I like traveling very much. I paint wherever I go. ~
Artist Yan Kuo-Rung’s booth
I like travelling very much. When I travel, painting supplies occupy most of my luggage space. I paint wherever I go. When I go to an unfamiliar place, I will go to inspect the grounds. I look for the spot wherever the sun comes up and start painting.
In this painting, you can see Maldives in Langkawi. I painted on the beach while enjoying the sun. This one shows London, the one below is Lijiang... The theme of this exhibition is divided into three parts: The first part is the travel in Europe, and the style is more impressionistic, and it is very important to capture water and light. I follow Monet's steps to catch light and water so there are many variations in the color of the water.
I also like flowers very much. At my home in Taipei, I often buy flowers to decorate. I will paint the beautiful flowers in their most glamour time.
Another series I have is the Country Series. During the changes of four seasons in Taiwan, I would go out to sketch on holidays. I would go to my hometown, Kinmen, two or three times a year, and I would paint Kinmen's local customs and landscapes, such as the fields in the spring or leaves in the fall, winter also presents a different feel.
~ Most of the landscapes in my works are places that I have visited in person. ~
I used Chinese watercolor and plastic paint in the works I brought this time. I anticipated these two very different materials to trigger sparks of inspiration. Most of the landscapes presented in my works are places that I have visited in person. I took photos of these places, and then looked for new feelings and new elements from the photos to complete the composition and design of the entire painting. I also used elements typically used with Chinese watercolor, for instance, the clouds, represented by the “Wish-fulfilling Cloud” shown here.
~ The theme this time is the peony flowers that my mother loves very much.~
The theme this time is the peony flowers that my mother loves very much. Every time she sees me painting, she would ask me to paint something she likes. So, a few years ago, I painted her favorite flowers which she appreciated very much. Then I began to use peony as the theme for my new series.
In the process of painting, I found that the peony to be very dynamic and this gave me the motivation to explore further. I used colors and color blocks to express the rhythm and flow of the peony flower. The process brought me joy and great satisfaction.
~ I use Oracle Bone Scripts to create where calligraphy and painting share the same origin. ~
Artist Lee U-Fo (right)
This is my first time exhibiting and it is also the first time selling my paintings after over 83 years. The director of the Watercolor Association introduced me to the exhibition. I use Oracle Bone Scripts to create as calligraphy and painting share the same origin. Deconstructing Oracle Bone Scripts is a conceptual art. Each painting is a concept.
~ This rabbit was inspired by the rabbit character from “Alice in Wonderland.” ~
Artist Aer Lu’s Booth
There are some characters from the fairy tales in my work. I use a method that is similar to sculpture which has flat and embossed surfaces. The works I brought this time have more rabbits in them. This rabbits were inspired by the rabbit character from “Alice in Wonderland.”
~ My works this time are presented with the effect of negative films. ~
My works often have fantasy elements and my own imagination, as shown in my new series this year. My works this time are presented with the effect of negative films. The negative film means the negative film of a photo. The negative film and the positive film are relative. The positive film is the color seen in the real world. The negative film is the reverse of the positive film’s color where black will become white and blue will become orange.
The idea of using negative film concept is from a TV program “Zone 51,” where many extraterrestrials and mysteries were reported. I wanted to do something that I had never tried before, to paint in the way of a negative film, to give everyone a sense of mystery and elusiveness. So I created a new series, “Zone 51,” where aliens are the main characters. In order to let everyone see the interesting contrast, below each painting, I would paste the color appearance of this painting in the positive film, to make it more interesting.
~ My most satisfied paintings in this exhibition are “Water Baby” and “Fire Baby” ~
Artist Ui Ui Liu (right) and her dad
I use “myself” as the main character when I create. I love to paint and enjoy using my college life experience or reflect my hobbies in my artwork. The first thing a college student will do after getting out of bed every day is nothing more than dressing up for school, go on a date, or after brushing teeth and washing face, then directly picks up the paint brush for endless creation~~
I hope that everyone can feel the youthfulness of college students from my work and think of happy days before. My most satisfied paintings in this exhibition are “water baby” and “fire baby”. They can be displayed together or separately. One represents coolness and the other represents enthusiasm, reflecting the people’s enthusiasm while having fun and the coolness at work. I want to show that people have both emotions.
