The fusion of local heritage and global influence shapes art analysis in Taiwan.
The construction of Taiwan’s art history is a dynamic, ongoing process shaped by academics, curators, educators and cultural institutions. This evolving narrative reflects complex historical layers spanning Indigenous legacy, waves of Chinese migration, Japanese colonial rule, authoritarian governance and democratization. Each era left distinct marks on the country’s visual culture, prompting historians to continually reframe their analytical approach and scope.
From traditional ink paintings to contemporary multimedia installations, Taiwan’s art presents a rich and multifaceted archive of identity, resistance and innovation. During the Japanese colonial period (1895–1945), pioneering artists such as Chen Cheng-po (陳澄波), Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖) and Lee Shih-chiao (李石樵) began creating a modern visual language that merged Eastern and Western aesthetics. After 1949, when the Nationalist government relocated to Taiwan, artists from China introduced new styles and philosophies, influencing Taiwan’s postwar art institutions. These developments laid the groundwork for a complex artistic terrain in which different traditions and ideologies intersected and sometimes collided.
“Defining Taiwan,” a collection of essays published in 1996, is one of the first major academic projects to critically examine Taiwan’s modern art and cultural identity from a local perspective. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
In recent decades academic institutions have emerged as key actors in redefining the study of art. Researchers have expanded the discipline’s boundaries by challenging the dominance of Sino- and Western-centric frameworks. Once considered peripheral to global art discourse, Taiwan’s art history is now increasingly recognized as a distinct field reflecting the country’s ethnic diversity, cultural fusion and unique geopolitical identity. As the country continues to promote its distinctiveness on the global stage, the ongoing project of constructing a coherent yet inclusive art history narrative remains a key academic and civic endeavor.
Forging Identity
While some research traces the study of Taiwan’s art history back to earlier periods such as the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties or Dutch colonial rule (1624–1662), the discipline is widely understood to have emerged in the postwar decades, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s. This period marked a turning point, as the influence of Japanese imagery and academic institutions introduced during the colonial period created fertile ground for formal art history inquiry.
“Local art during the Qing dynasty largely followed Chinese traditions. It was the Japanese period that shaped Taiwan’s visual arts most significantly,” noted Chiu Han-ni (邱函妮), a professor at National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taipei City who has dedicated decades to art history research. She highlights the era’s nihonga paintings, which blended local landscapes with East Asian aesthetic principles, as key to this transformation. This legacy, coupled with postwar educational reforms and the introduction of Western art history methodologies, laid the foundation for an academic discipline that would grapple with complex questions of cultural identity, historical legitimacy and aesthetic value.
National Taiwan University in Taipei City is a leader in domestic art history research. (Courtesy of Graduate Institute of Art History, National Taiwan University)
By the 1960s institutions like NTU were adopting Japanese pedagogical models and Euro-American methodologies such as formalism, iconography and stylistic analysis. However, art history was still considered a subfield of Chinese cultural studies, which was primarily focused on classical scrolls and literati traditions. “We had to ask ourselves what we were really examining,” Chiu reflected, underscoring the limitations of the imported frameworks in addressing Taiwan’s unique cultural realities. In contrast to literary texts, artwork also presented distinct challenges for circulation and analysis, impeding the construction of a coherent historical canon.
The democratization and localization movements of the 1990s catalyzed a methodological shift. Art historians began questioning colonial legacies and Sinocentric paradigms, embracing poststructuralist and postcolonial theories to revise periodization, authorship and disciplinary boundaries. “Our frameworks must reflect Taiwan’s circumstances,” said Huang Yu-chin (黃猷欽), chair of the Department of Art History at National Taiwan University of Arts (NTUA) in New Taipei City and an advocate of pluralistic and culturally responsive approaches.
As a result, academic programs at tertiary institutions like NTU and NTUA expanded curricula to cover local and regional practices. These pedagogical reforms reoriented the discipline toward inclusivity and reflexivity, distinguishing Taiwan’s art history from the Chinese and Western models while remaining in dialogue with them. “We start students off with traditional methodologies and historiographical approaches before incorporating contemporary lenses such as gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic class,” Huang explained. “This spurs valuable research that responds to changing societal needs and expectations and highlights the adaptability and relevance of the area of study.”
Tainan National University of the Arts hosts Taiwan’s first and only standalone art history department. (Courtesy of Tainan National University of the Arts)
TNNUA art history students attend a seminar examining the function of art spaces, analyzing exhibitions and exploring cultural product design. (Courtesy of Tainan National University of the Arts)
Constructing Taiwan’s art history goes beyond recovering overlooked works or revising established timelines. It is a broader process of intellectual and cultural self-definition that seeks to understand how visual culture both shapes and reflects Taiwan’s identity. “Art is a synthesis of the past, present and future,” Huang said. “It’s revolutionary and rebellious, challenging the existing order and revealing truths through alternative perspectives.”
Expanding Horizons
As the study of Taiwan’s art history has developed, artists and institutions have increasingly responded to both international trends and local cultural contexts. No longer confined to national discourse, local art now circulates in biennials, exhibitions and digital platforms, offering nuanced perspectives on identity, memory and place. Since the 1990s artists from Taiwan have gained visibility on the international stage through events like Italy’s Venice Biennale and Germany’s Documenta.
Migration has further shaped Taiwan’s artistic voice. Figures such as Hsieh Teh-ching (謝德慶) and Lee Ming-wei (李明維), both of whom are primarily based in the U.S., bridge Taiwanese identity with global concerns, challenging binaries of homeland and diaspora. Their practices demonstrate that Taiwanese art exists not only within geographic borders but also across emotional and conceptual geographies. This transnational lens enriches Taiwan’s art history, complicating notions of authorship, belonging and representation.
Established in 1983, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in the northern city of Taipei is the country’s first public contemporary art museum. (Courtesy of Taipei Fine Arts Museum)
Within Taiwan, institutions have evolved to support the expanding discipline. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum in the capital and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in the central city of Taichung have redefined curatorial practices by incorporating Indigenous art, experimental media and feminist critique. The rise of regional institutions like the Tainan Art Museum in southern Taiwan, along with artist-run spaces and events such as the Taiwan Biennial and Kuandu Biennale, has created platforms for diverse voices and experimental forms. These spaces challenge the dominance of Taipei in the domestic art sphere by supporting diverse regional voices and highlighting the cultural character of different communities. “Political power influences culture, but art history should remain free from interference,” Chiu said. “Academics and the government should maintain a respectful distance to protect academic independence and prevent politics from shaping cultural interpretation.”
A calligraphy scroll displayed at the National Central Library in Taipei reflects Taiwan’s renewed focus on its art history. (Courtesy of Lee Shien-wen)
In addition, digital platforms have transformed the production and reception of art history knowledge. Projects like the Taiwan Art History Research Database and online archives by the National Central Library in Taipei have expanded access to historical materials, while social media and virtual exhibitions have introduced local art to broader audiences. These new modes of dissemination raise important questions about how digital reproduction impacts the materiality and context of artwork, particularly for Indigenous carvings or site-specific installations.
Ongoing Evolution
Taiwan’s art history is a living discourse that continues to unfold in tandem with the country’s shifting political landscapes and global connections. What began as a peripheral inquiry within Chinese cultural studies has become a dynamic field shaped by innovation, critique and cross-cultural dialogue. From early colonial-era artists to contemporary figures engaging with global audiences, Taiwanese art continually adapts, resists and reimagines its place in the world.
Rather than impose coherence through exclusion or singular origin stories, Taiwan’s art history embraces contradiction. Built on the premise that multiple identities and aesthetics can coexist, its narrative reflects the country’s contested status and cultural complexity. Academics, artists and institutions have all contributed to this ongoing project by actively redefining art, authorship and interpretation. In constructing its art narrative, Taiwan is not only carving out its own space but also contributing to a broader rethinking of global art historiography that values localized knowledge, ethical scholarship and the radical potential of visual culture to transcend borders and connect communities.
Write to Krakias Kai at
kwhuang@mofa.gov.tw