Yu-Wen LIU
Bachelor's degree in the Department of Arts and Design, National Tsing Hua University
Studies in the Department of Fine Arts, National Taiwan Normal University (incomplete)
2021 Hsinchu Fine Arts Exhibition, Ink and Acrylic category, Excellent Work
2019 Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology Youth Artist Collection Call for Entries Exhibition, Collection Award
2018 National Tsing Hua University Outstanding Works Collection for Students and Alumni
2018 Nantou County Yushan Art Awards, Ink and Acrylic category, Honorable Mention
Graduated from the Department of Arts and Design at National Tsing Hua University, Liu Yu-Wen bases her work on traditional ink elements, incorporating symbols from sketching and painting manuals, and blending Western color expressions. Her goal is to break away from the established impression of ink painting and integrate meticulous brushwork, acrylics, and expressive ink painting. She is particularly dedicated to exploring the richness of nature and everyday objects through artistic reflection, creating unique and lifelike imagery.
Creative Philosophy:
Using ordinary trees in the countryside and modern objects as subjects, Liu Yu-Wen employs orderly symbols and points between the leaves to build a world rich in decorative meaning and rhythm. Her creative process began with the study of ink, questioning traditional methods. The vibrant and colorful meticulous paintings and the emotionally charged landscape paintings with a literati aesthetic seem to have distinct color barriers. The use of symbols in expressive ink painting also creates a disparity with natural images. Facing the vast traditions of ink painting and the roots of nature, Liu strives to reform and explore. She incorporates elements like pointillism and repetition, commonly used in Western painting, into ink painting. Using ordinary rural scenes as subjects, she presents a delicate and ornamental world.
Commentary by Hu Yi-Cheng, Associate Professor at National Tsing Hua University:
Liu Yu-Wen's works are fresh and elegant, outlining foliage with symbols, presenting a world with a sense of decoration and rhythm. At first glance, it seems like the traditional technique of landscape painting. However, her delicate and clear lines, the combination of pink and black-and-white ink, reveal a unique style distinct from tradition.
Liu Yu-Wen dedicates considerable effort to observing ordinary scenes in the countryside and daily life, capturing detailed close-ups while also conveying the grand space of clustered trees and layered mountains. Similar to ancient artists refining natural phenomena into brush and ink symbols, Yu-Wen analyzes and blends the chaotic landscapes of Taiwan's mountains and forests. Whether it's clusters of trees, tree trunks, leaves, or vines, the outlines and pointillism gradually transform into a rhythm-filled abstract form, familiar upon closer inspection yet captivating.
In addition to traditional elements such as lines, symbols, and ink charm, Yu-Wen also incorporates the Western painting technique of "pointillism." Coupled with unique coloring and skillful layering, she aims to showcase the "extraordinary in ordinary scenes" through the "harmony of brush and color." The result is a romantically inspired scene, filled with rationality—an attempt to harmonize ink, color, brush, and scenery. It can be said that she is seeking a unique position within the spectrum of styles, oscillating between "ink" and "muted color," always finding her distinct place. Her attentive and warm gaze reveals a profound sentiment for the enduring beauty of all creation, reminiscent of the natural charm depicted by certain Japanese painters, such as Hishida Shunso.