Joy Acrylic on Paper 45 2002
50 cm
CONTENTS
04
05
Preface The Ethereal Chi
06
19
1955-1963
20
27
1963-1966
Solar Series
28
35
1967-1975
Hard-edge Series
36
43
1976-1983
Zen and Chi Series
44
59
1983-1988
Universe Series
60
65
1989-1990
Tiananmen Square Protests Series
66
83
1991-1995
Beyond the Great Threshold Series
84
87
Biography
Informalism
Encounter of Life Acrylic on Paper 67 2012
4
35 cm
2003 2003 one-man-exhibition at the art gallery of the Tainan University of the Arts in Tainan; photographed by Ling Bo-liang.
T he Ethereal Chi “ Chi ”, the essence of the universe and the energy of life.
Within Hsiao Chin’s work, The Ethereal Chi, tranquilly
Combining life experiences and having the Orient philosophy
flows and extends to the eternity. With concrete symbols,
harmonizes with the Occident art forms, Hsiao establishes
simple lines and colors used by strong intuition, his
his own style. This unique fusion of eastern and western
work appears with exquisitely attached emotions. It
constantly pushes his works to one and another peak.
expresses the abstract while hovers between illusion
With mind followed by strokes, his works evolves freely
and reality. Every stroke was performed dignified,
and endlessly. It can be reflected from the intriguing and
holding the grand, tremendous momentum of the
stunning works in each period of his painting career. From
cosmos. Delicately turned ”uni” into the “universe”.
Informalism, Solar Series, Hard-edge Series, Zen and Chi Series, Tiananmen Square Protests Series, Beyond
As for the enlightenment of Hsiao’s inspiration in imagination
the Great Threshold Series to the artistic gift celebrating
and contemplation, it was “Zen” that plays an initiative
the millennium, The Brave New World Series, Hsiao
role, accompanied with the apprehension toward life and
has been surpassing himself constantly, and eventually
the world. The accidental loss of his daughter makes him
reaching an eternal state without a beginning and the end.
realize the meaning toward life beyond flesh and blood. Hsiao believes that the energy and possibility of life in
The entire life of Hsiao never lacks of difficulties, yet of
unlimited, as can reach any part of the world. Therefore,
hope, either. Life stories stirring the souls and the climax-
he conveys this belief to those who find it resonant
after-climax creation are both included. A high achieving art
by brushes and colors, diffusing the power infinitely.
master as Hsiao, remaining passionate even now he is 80, is packed fully with infinite energy. His discovery while roaming within the vast universe will continually to be interpreted through his works, and acquire a wide spread in the world.
5
1955 — 1963
Informalism
Started with a deep investigation in Beijing Opera, Hsiao made the characters within appear vividly by contrasting strong and tender colors as well as placing pithy layout. Then, he decoded the epigraphs into concise forms, developing a moral state.
7
-2 Chinese Opera Characters -2
Crayon on Paper 25
38 cm 1956
8
9
Untitled
Oil on Canvas 59.5
40 cm 1959
10
11
-Y Pintura -Y
Oil on Canvas 148.5
63 cm 1959
12
13
-2 Pintura -2
Ink on Paper 57 1958
14
49 cm
MMA -170 -20 Oil on Canvas 99
77 cm 1960
15
UZ -109 Oil on Canvas 82 1960
16
100 cm
The Dance
Ink on Canvas 38
46 cm 1962
17
MC -*3 -61 Oil on Canvas 100 1961
18
70 cm
Untitled
Oil on Canvas 100
69 cm 1961
19
1963 — 1966
Solar Series
Affected by Tibetan Buddhism and the Mandala, Hsiao expressed his meditation on souls and magnetism by symbolizing it with the sun, where the power comes. The circular and radiate geometric representation, bright colors, and white dots highlighting the elegance, all added tension to the works.
21
Purple Light
Ink on Canvas 146
114 cm 1965
22
Green Sun
Ink on Paper 57 1965
24
92 cm
-1 Sun -1
Ink on Paper 93
74 cm 1964
25
Solar
Ink on Paper 57.5 1965
26
91 cm
Shine the Earth
Acrylic on Paper 57
80 cm 1965
27
1967 — 1975
Hard-edge Series
From Western Limit art form, Hsiao created bunch of works concise as well as exceptional. With a metal or wooden plate as a layer beneath, he then painted with baked enameled and acrylic coating. How he cut-in the scene was intuitionally, placing a space combined dynamic and static, not only lyrical but also precise by nature.
29
The horizon of Samantha
Acrylic on Canvas 48 1969
30
84 cm
-XIII Tension -XIII
Acrylic on Canvas 48
81 cm 1969
31
Peace and Joy
Acrylic on Canvas 120 1975
32
88 cm
-4 Challenge -4
Acrylic on Canvas 130
100 cm 1974
33
Contemplation and Hope
Acrylic on Canvas 88
88 cm 1975
34
35
1976 — 1983
Zen and Chi Series
Praising the energy of life, the Zen and Chi Series can almost be viewed as Hsiao’s counterpart. The technique used to express the substance of Zen in Eastern culture was even self-surpassing, having gained him more international recognition and to another new milestone in art. He created several geometric patterns including squares, circles and lines, embodying the ethereal state with rendered ink.
37
1980 Ink on Canvas 54 1980
38
88 cm
39
40
-180 Chi -180
Ink on Paper 40
149 cm 1981
41
-178 Ch i-178
Ink on Paper 120
40 cm 1981
42
-265 Chi -265
Acrylic on Paper 100
40 cm
1987
43
1983 — 1988
Universe Series
Hsiao has always yearned to explore the universe. And in these series, the tremendous power of the cosmos was thoroughly portrayed by Hsiao’s use of colorful pigments. It came and went
45
The Big Sky
Acrylic on Canvas 128
202 cm 1984
46
47
-61 Tornado -61
Acrylic on Canvas 74 1985
48
89 cm
49
Auspicious Cloud Acrylic on Canvas 49.5 1985
50
66 cm
Tandra -2 Acrylic on Canvas 60
79 cm
51
-8 Great Black Cloud -8 Acrylic on Paper 76 1985
52
108 cm
Blue Cloud
Acrylic on Canvas 83
93 cm 1986
53
-26 Meteorite -26
Ink on Paper 63 1986
54
126 cm
55
-46 Cosmic Wind -46
Acrylic on Paper 53 1989
56
51 cm
-17 Cosmic Vortex -17
Acrylic on Canvas 92
82 cm 1986
57
-2 Jupiter -2
Acrylic on Paper 26.5 1988
58
35.5 cm
59
1989 — 1990
Tiananmen Square Protests Series 1989
Non Dimenticare
Chivalrous as Hsiao is, he created the "Non Dimenticare" in the Tiananmen Square Protests Series as a tribute to those who died in the Tiananmen Massacre. A sense of minacity suffusing in the gloomy tone, as being shrouded in vicious power.
61
Tiananmen Square Protests Series
Acrylic on Paper 50
53 cm 1989
62
63
-2 China Changing -2
Acrylic on Paper 35 1989
64
53 cm
Spring of Beiling
Acrylic on Paper 49
67 cm 1989
65
1991 — 1995
Beyond the Great Threshold Series Beyond the Great Threshold
These mostly series are Hsiao’s masterwork in memory of his beloved daughter. The comprehension and awareness of life-and-death because of the painful grief, having come out of the cocoon and rebirth, morphing into the new eternal energy, which is the most touching series full of the poetry with sensibility.
67
-42 The Eternal Garden -42
Acrylic on Canvas 100
130 cm 1993
68
69
Eternal Garden
Acrylic on Canvas 30
70
50 cm
-75 Passage through the great threshold -75
Acrylic on Canvas 55
40 cm
71
-6 The New World -6
Acrylic on Canvas 150
150 cm 1997
72
73
-72 Beyond the Great Threshold -72
Acrylic on Canvas 50
74
70 cm
-24 Samadhi -24
Acrylic on Canvas 70
80 cm 1995
75
-41 Birth of the New World -41
Acrylic on Canvas 130 1996
76
160 cm
77
Green Sky
Acrylic on Canvas 50 1995
78
70 cm
-15 Joy of Life -15
Acrylic on Canvas 70
100 cm 2000
79
99 / 8 / 11 -3 Acrylic on Canvas 91
117 cm 1999
80
81
-72 Cosmic Vortex -72
Acrylic on Paper 61 2003
82
95 cm
-27 The Great Chi -27
Ink on Paper 78
143 cm 1998
83
b.1935
Fantasy Ceramics 35
35
1992
1935 1949 1951 1952 1954 1956
(
)
1957
(Mataro) (Galleria Numero)
1959 (A. Caderara)
1961
(Punto,
(G. Marconi) 1962 (M.D’Arguian)
1963 1964
(Signals Gallery)
1966
(Samantha)
1967 (Rose FriedGallery) (M.Rothko)
(W. De
1969 Kooning) 1971 - 72
84
)
4 cm
The Riverbed Ceramics 15.5
12
8 cm
1993
1972 1980 1981 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995
1953-1994 (Monika Unterbenger)
1996 1997
1990-1997 (Darmstadt)
1998 1958-1998
(Institut Mathildenhohe)
98
2002
1958 - 2002
2001
1958 - 2000 2004 2005 1 2006
1958 - 2004 7 -
1955 - 2005
2008 2009 2010
:
75
2012 2013 2014 2015
85
Biography
Hsiao Chin b.1935
1935 Born in Shanghai; father Hsiao Yu-mei, a pioneer in contemporary Chinese music, Shanghai in 1927.
1952 Joins Lee Chun-shen’s Antung St. studio, commencing study of modern art.
Contemporain.
86
Ceramic Board Ceramics 23
33
4.5 cm
1993
1981 25th anniversary joint exhibitions of the Ton-Fan and Fifth Moon groups, Taipei. 1986 Hsiao is invited by the Chinese government to take part in events celebrating 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yatsen. Travels and exhibits in Brazil. 1988 Went to USSR to join in Moscow Exhibition of Italian Contemporary Arts and visited Leningrad. Held Grand 30thRetrospective Exhibition in Marconi Art Gallery of Milano. 1990 Daughter Samantha dies in Los Angeles. 1991 Aggrieved by the death of his daughter, creates a new series under the theme “The Great Threshold”, relating his new 1992 Hsiao Chin Retrospective Exhibition, Taiwan Museum of Art in Taichung.
1995 1996
1997 1998 2002
2004 2005 2006 2008
exhibitions in China. Hsiao Chin: the Odyssey 1953-1994, Taipei Fine Arts Museum. Hsiao Chin Retrospective Exhibition, Taipei Dimension Endowment of Art; exhibition catalogue is published by Dimensions Art Center. Marries Austrian soprano Monika Unterberger in May. Teaches at Graduate Institute of Plastic Art in Tainan National University of the Arts since October. A touring exhibition Gathering Force-Beyond the Great Threshold to the New World Series on Hsiao Chin’s recent works from 1990 to 1997 organized by the Dimensions Art Center. It goes on to the Galleria IL PONTE in Florence. Touring exhibition at the Galerie DI MEO in Paris. “Das Ueberschreiten der grossen Schwelle works of Hsiao-Chin” at the Institute Mathildenhoehe Darmstadt in Germany. Exhibition in Shanghai Biennial 1998. In January 22nd, the Milan Province’s Oberdan Space dedicates to him a ceramic sculptures exhibit, Milan’s Mudima Foundation dedicated him a recent large size painting exhibit, Milan’s Mudima Foundation dedicated him a recent large size painting exhibit, Milan’s Giò Marconi Gallery dedicated him a retrospective exhibit of paintings on canvas and also Lattuada Gallery in Milan a retrospective exhibit of Hsiao Chin’s work on paper, both from 1958 to 2001. National Fine Art Prize from National Culture and Arts Foundation, Taiwan. The Journey of Hsiao Chin’s painting 1958-2004 at the Shanghai Art Museum. In January 7th was conferred by the Italian President C.A. Ciampi the honorable title of “Knight of Italian Solidarity Star”. Glory to the Source, Hsiao Chin 1955-2005 retrospective exhibition at National Art Museum of China in Beijing. “Hsiao Chin”,Parma, Salone delle Scuderie in Pilotta.
2010 “Homage to the Master: Retrospective of Hsiao Chin”, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 2012 “Abstract art in Taiwan”, Taipei Fine Art Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. “YES, TAIWAN - 2012 Taiwan Biennial”, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan. 2013 “Great ALL”, Lin & Lin Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan. 2014 “Hsiao Chin Eternal Energy”, Lotus Art Gallery, Kaohsiung Taiwan. 2015 “60 Years of Abstraction, Harmony and Form”, De Sarthe Gallery, Hong Kong. “80 Years of Energy, Hsiao Chin’s Retrospect & Prospect”, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan. “The Ethereal Chi - Artworks Collection of Hsiao Chin”, Goethe Art Center,
87
Christine Cheng
Jia-Ling Li
Vivian Huang Miya Pan
Goethe Art Center
1F, No.293, Sec.2 Tiding Blvd., Neihu Dist., Taipei, Taiwan 293 1
+886 2 2658 6600
+886 2 2658 2600
www.goethe-ming.com
300 Copies 300 Published in 2015.10 2015 10
88
ISBN 978-986-87383-6-2