An exhibition of Eastern abstract art kicked off June 14 at the Museum of Ixelles in Brussels, featuring works by Taiwan artists who played a major role in the development of the movement in East Asia, according to the Republic of China (Taiwan) Ministry of Culture.
Jointly organized by the Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Ixelles, the exhibition “From China to Taiwan: Pioneers of Abstraction,” which runs until Sept. 24, includes around 80 paintings from 15 principal figures of the Chinese abstract art scene, many of whom relocated to Taiwan with the Nationalist government in 1949.
Acclaimed artists such as Liu Kuo-sung and Fong Chung-ray attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition, which features several of their works. Harry Tseng, head of the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium, and Lien Li-li, director of the Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris, were also at the event.
According to the organizers, the exhibition focuses heavily on the works and influence of Zao Wou-ki (1920-2013), Chu Teh-chun (1920-2014) and Lee Chun-shan (1912-1984), three pioneers of Chinese abstract art. Also on display are artworks from two of Taiwan’s avant-garde artistic groups of the mid-20th century, namely the Ton Fan group, founded by students of Lee, and the Wuyue group, whose members had studied under Chu.
The Ton Fan group created artworks centered around Chinese culture, while the Wuyue group focused exclusively on abstract paintings. Ton Fan can be translated from Mandarin as Oriental, while Wuyue means fifth month (May).
According to exhibition curator Sabine Vazieux from France, Taiwan’s abstract art scene and contributions after World War II are not well understood by the Western art community. Through the Brussels exhibit, audiences can view works that helped shape Eastern abstract art and better understand the contributions Taiwan artists made to the movement.
The Museum of Ixelles, established in 1892, has a collection of more than 10,000 artworks from the 17th to the 20th centuries. At the museum, patrons can view examples of several artistic movements such as abstract, contemporary, expressionism, impressionism, realism and surrealism. (KWS-E)
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