Ahura

Wu Shih Chuan / Associate Researcher of Taipei Fine Arts Museum

《浮雲人生彩筆隨：風采諸羅詹浮雲創作展》，台北：創價文教基金會，2017。

Starting in 2003, Taiwan Soka Association (TSA) has been organizing the art exhibition series entitled "Searching for the Root of Culture-Constructing the Centennial History of Taiwanese Art," in order to introduce the artists and art educators who have contributed the most to Taiwan. Since then, 14 years have passed. During this period, the works of more than 100 excellent creative art workers have been shown in exhibitions that tour Soka's various Art and Cultural Centers around the island. Besides being warmly welcomed by the people living all over Taiwan, they have earned the approval of local cultural and educational institutions. For spring 2017, TSA is planning a special exhibition to honor Chan Fu-Yun, a most representative and influential artist from southern Taiwan, and it will provide a full retrospective of the oil paintings he produced through his career. 

Back in 1952, the painter Liu Chi-Hsiang (劉啟祥, 1910-1989), a towering figure in the southern arts circles based in Kaohsiung, set up the "Kaohsiung Fine Art Studies Association," and under his careful management he cultivated many young artists. In 1953, when Liu and the Tainan artist Kuo Po-Chuan (郭柏川, 1901-1974) formed the "Southern Taiwan Fine Arts Association" (present-day "Art Association of Southern Taiwan, ROC," which organizes the "South Exhibition"), they established a stimulating, creative platform for mutual learning. The organization cultivated the development of the fine arts in southern Taiwan, and it gave impetus to progress in Taiwanese art. We can say that it made an enduring contribution to art education in the Kaohsiung area. In the process of developing art in the Kaohsiung area, Liu Chi-Hsiang nurtured many fine artistic talents. Consequently the TSA's exhibition series has featured not only Liu Chi-Hsiang but many other excellent Kaohsiung artists such as Chen Ruey-Fu (陳瑞福, 1935-), Liu Keng-i (劉耿一, 1938-), and Hung Ken-Shen (洪根深, 1946-). The present exhibition is showing the works of Chan Fu-Yun (1927- ), another major artist from the generation following that of Liu Chi-Hsiang and Chang Chi-Hua (張啟華, 1910-1987). Chan may be called the most important and representative senior painter in today's southern Taiwanese arts and culture circles. 

Chan Fu-Yun was born in Chiayi, which during the Japanese colonial era was a center of art and culture and a place with many literary and poetry associations, and many young artists gathered there. This rich cultural atmosphere nurtured Chan Fu-Yun's artistic gift and potential. Besides receiving the nurturing encouragement of his mother, he was also deeply influenced by his first teachers in art, Chen Cheng-Po (陳澄波, 1895-1947) and Lin Yu-Shan (林玉山, 1907-2004), both residents of Chiayi and leading members of Taiwan's first generation of artists. Chan Fu-Yun worked tirelessly to build up his personal foundation of painting skills, and by virtue of his two teachers' assiduous instruction, his artistic pathway was opened up, and he moved steadily toward a fresh new career in oil painting. 

Chiayi may have been the base for Chan Fu-Yun's early artistic career, but it was not until after 1947, when he moved to Kaohsiung, that his artistic career was established. When he first arrived in Kaohsiung, Chan Fu-Yun, "through his persistent love for art, maintained his beliefs and ideals with regard to developing an artistic atmosphere in society." Thus in 1949 he set up the "Fu-Yun Painting Studio," and then in 1953 he set up the "Fu-Yun Fine Art Classroom." In these schools he used the time he wasn't creating his own art to teach others who loved art and were interested in learning, and he cultivated many younger talents. Among his young students were people such as Huang Hui-Mu (黃惠穆, 1926-2010), Wang Wu-Hsieh (王五謝, 1928-), Lü Fu-Sheng (呂浮生, 1935-), and Hsieh Feng-Sheng (謝峰生, 1938- 2009), and through his instruction, each developed outstanding accomplishments, winning innumerable awards and honors in the "Taiwan Provincial Exhibitions" and "Taiyang Exhibitions." In later years they became stalwarts of the art world and also served as jurors. in all kinds of art competitions. 

Outside of his teaching, Chan Fu-Yun devoted himself entirely to his art, though the process of teaching and working creatively were mutually reinforcing, and he constantly reminded himself to keep trying new things and to refine his skills. After Retrocession in 1945, there were several platforms where artists could exhibit their work. For instance, in 1946, the official "Taiwan Provincial Fine Art Exhibitions" were set up; meanwhile, in the private sector, there were the "Taiyang Fine Arts Exhibitions" or "Taiyang Exhibitions," which had been established in 1934 during the Japanese colonial period. In southern Taiwan, there were also the "Southern Taiwan Fine Arts Exhibitions" or "Southern Exhibitions," which were organized by senior artists in Kaohsiung and Tainan. In those days, winning prizes in competitive exhibitions was an important threshold for aspiring talented artists, because winning a prize in one of these exhibitions served as proof of the artist's skill. An important prize would confer admission to the art world's inner circle. Starting in 1951, therefore, Chan Fu-Yun vigorously participated in these competitive exhibitions and frequently won prizes. In the "Provincial Exhibitions," for example, he won a total of 14 prizes-2 firsts, 3 seconds, 3 thirds, and 6 honorable mentions-which broke the record and conferred "automatic inclusion without prior review" status on his works; later on he was appointed as a juror. Meanwhile, in the Taiyang Exhibitions, he won the Provincial Education prize, the Taiyang prize, the Fengshan prize, and four outstanding work prizes. Because of his excellent record, he was nominated to become a fellow of the Taiwan Fine Arts Society. With incomparable steadiness and determination, Chan Fu-Yu refined his creative skills and talents through these competitions. The prizes made it possible for him to gain important status in the arts community, but they also represented society's affirmation of his artistic accomplishments. For the way he struggled for recognition, he deserves to be considered as a model for young artists. 

Chan Fu-Yun was an energetic, hard-working artist who never forgot his teacher Chen Cheng-Po's expectations for him: "Taiwan's art community is still not open and its artistic environment is still immature, so if you want to pursue an artistic career, you will have to study abroad. Japan is best, because its art scene is thriving, many people paint, and there is much to learn from. If you study in Japan, you'll have to compete in the 'Imperial Exhibition' (Teiten). Once you're in the 'Imperial Exhibition,' you'll be recognized." But Chan Fu-Yun at the time was already a young, glittering talent in Taiwan's art scene. Many years passed. In 1975, sensing that he was approaching the age of 60, he finally made the bold decision to go and study in Japan. He entered Kōrin Bijutsu Gakuin Kenkyūjo (Kōrin Art Academy) to study painting, and then in 1980 he entered Tōkōkai Yuga Kenkyūjo (Tōkōkai Oil Painting Academy), where he received instruction from renowned oil painters such as Morita Shigeru (recipient of Japan's highest honor, the Order of Culture), Etō Tetsu, and Yamamoto Hikoshirō. Besides focusing on the theory of oil painting, he rounded out his artistic training and expanded his creative capabilities and his perspectives in oil painting. Chan Fu- 

Yun also participated in one of Japan's long-standing competitive oil painting competitions, the Tōkō Exhibitions, which started in 1932. For this exhibition, artists submit paintings all of the same large size (known as a "size 100" in Japan and Taiwan), and each time nearly 2,000 paintings are accepted, so the competition is fierce. Thus each year from 1981 to 1988, his work was selected for inclusion in the Tōkō Exhibition, and in 1988, his painting City, which focused on the theme of historic buildings, won the Tōkō Exhibition's "Asahi Enogu Prize," a special honor. The next year he was nominated to be a Friend of the Tōkōkai, and in 1994 he finally became a formal member of the Tōkōkai. He was its only foreign member. This is the best proof of the esteem this Taiwanese oil painter enjoyed in Japan's oil painting community. 

To do advanced study in Japan, expand his artistic horizons, receive the instruction of renowned teachers, learn all kinds of creative concepts, and nurture his oil painting skills were all thing that Chen Cheng-Po had long ago encouraged Chan Fu-Yun to do. But another challenge and goal that Chan had was to participate in the competitive Imperial Exhibitions. Japan's most prestigious and authoritative exhibition association was originally the "Monbushō bijutsu tenrankai" or Ministry of Culture Fine Arts Exhibition (the "Bunten"), which was set up by Ministry of Culture in 1907. This event marked the beginning of the long history of officially-sponsored exhibitions. In 1919, the Bunten was reorganized and became the "Teikoku bijutsu tenrankai" or Imperial Exhibition ("Teiten"). After the war, in 1946, this "official exhibition" was reorganized again into the "Nihon bijutsu tenrankai" or Japan Fine Arts Exhibition (“Niten”). This is why the official exhibition that Chan participated in was the "Niten." To fulfill his longstanding desire to participate in it, he redoubled his efforts, working day and night and thinking of ideas for new compositions. Finally, from 1994 to 1997 he submitted three large, carefully-wrought paintings that centered on rural buildings: Old Houses in Guilin, Abandoned House, and Dusk. In this way, Chan was the first Taiwanese artist after Retrocession to participate in Japan's highest "official" exhibition since Chen Cheng-Po, Liao Chi- Chun, Lee Mei-Shu, and Lee Shih-Chiao in the Japanese colonial period. Such accomplishments enabled Chan Fu-Yun to enjoy a reputation in Japan and remain active in its painting community for a long period of time. Meanwhile, Taiwan's newspapers were eager to report the news of his winning awards, so his reputation in Taiwan also increased. He brought luster to southern cultural circles, and the Kaohsiung City government issued him a special "Award for Outstanding Accomplishment" in recognition of his international prestige in oil painting. 

The first generation of Taiwanese artists grew up in and were influenced by Japanese-style education and culture, so that if they had opportunity to do so, they would go to Japan for higher education. They were accustomed to Japanese ways of thinking and expressing themselves in Japanese. However, after Retrocession, the Chinese language replaced Japanese. For these artists who grew up in the Japanese education system, if they had not also received some education in Chinese, this meant that they would often encounter embarrassing situations because of the language barrier. This occurred particularly when they needed to use Chinese to interpret or write about their art—the difficulty was thus compounded, with the result that they had difficulty getting their work exhibited. Those who could write essays in Chinese, let alone essays on art criticism, were few and far between. However, Chan Fu-Yun was one of these few-he had the good fortune to have received training in Chinese, plus he had been diligent in his study of it. As a youngster he had attended a private school that his uncle Luo Chun-Tsai had established, so he had received training in the Chinese classics The Analects, Mencius, The Classic of Poetry, The Great Learning, and The Doctrine of the Mean. Thus, through his uncle's teaching, he had acquired a strong foundation in Chinese and the ability to write Chinese essays. Among his peers in the painting community, he had an additional, useful literary talent. 

Consequently, besides painting, Chan Fu-Yun was busy writing essays, articles, and reviews on art appreciation, modern art trends, exhibition reviews, trends in southern Taiwan's painting circles, etc. They are clearly thought out and cover both specialized and broad topics. In an era when most people had little time or access to art and culture, these essays stood out since they enabled ordinary people to build their own appreciation for art, and because they provided incisive commentary on developments in the arts and culture world. Put simply, Chan Fu-Yun was one of Taiwan's pioneering art critics. Furthermore, after Liu Chi-Hsiang recommended that he write a review of the third "Southern Exhibition" (1955), he began giving free rein to his compositional skills by publishing articles and reviews in newspapers. In this way, people in southern Taiwan became aware of and understood the artists who were active in the "Southern Exhibitions," and they would come and view the paintings. This was a crucial factor in the development of these "Southern Exhibitions." In addition, for many years Chan Fu-Yun has been very active in the work of artists associations, promoting exhibitions, and so on, so he has often served on their executive committees, as director, or as honorary director. He has also served as a juror for various exhibitions in Taiwan or as a member of museum curatorial committees. 

Although most of Chan Fu-Yun's output has been in oil, he is also skilled in the medium of Eastern gouache. He is able to imbue a distinctive spirit to the various natural scenes, portraits, and still life subjects that he has carefully selected, arranged, and interpreted. For instance, when depicting the interior of old buildings, he develops a complex yet rigorously controlled composition, so that it generates a kind of quick visual rhythm. Moreover, each work features a strong spatial sense, with a capable expression of depth and breadth. He is also quite bold in his use of color. Every work is brightly and richly colored, with the colors applied in many layers. While most artists tend to avoid the use of pink, for example, Chan Fu-Yun does not shy from it-every color gets its due, every color is allowed to show its particular allure. Furthermore, his brushwork is assured and refined. He layers on the colors a stroke at a time so that a solid, thick effect is produced. In combination with the rigorously controlled composition makes the colors shine even more, and it also reveals something of Chan's careful attitude with regard to his creative work. 

Although Chan is now advanced in age, he remains every inch a top-notch gentleman, always attentive to the fine points of courtesy, dressing neatly in suit and tie, treating others with respect, and enthusiastic about benefiting the public. On the inside, he retains a rigorously self-regulating spirit, which through the years has found faithful expression in his attitude toward creation as well as in the character of the works themselves. For these reasons, the respect he enjoys in Taiwanese art circles is well-deserved.