廖震平，《夜晚的人造湖, 2028》，水性樹脂顏料、麻布、油彩，150 x 300 cm，私人收藏

Gazing at the Twisting Paths Beyond：Taiwan Realism from 1960’s
2025/04/08 - 2025/05/18

King Car Cultural & Art Center is very happy to announce the group show "Gazing at the Twisting Paths Beyond: Taiwan Realism from the 1960s," featuring 9 important Taiwanese artists. Curated by Each Modern, one of the most provocative and influential galleries in Asia, which has been rediscovering the value of Taiwanese artists for the past eight years. This exhibition aims to reclaim realism and reevaluate the style as a provocative attitude rather than cater to popular taste.

Artist
Chan Yung-Jen
Hilo Chen
Kwong Kui-Choi
Lee Chi-Hsiang
Li Bing-Ao
Liao Zen-Ping
Wong Hoi-Ian
Wu Yih-Han
Yeh Tzu-Chi

Information
8 April to 18 May 2025
King Car Cultural & Art Center
Curated by Each Modern
Opening Reception 4 – 5.30 p.m, 8 April
King Car Cultural & Art Center -  3F., No. 1, Sec. 2, Nanjing E. Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei

Introduction
In his doctoral dissertation, “ Xie-Shi (Realism) in Art of Taiwan (1910-1954) : Contextual Formation and Its History,” Prof. Wu YuTang offers a comprehensive analysis of realism, highlighting that its fluid definition in Taiwanese art arises from misinterpretations of modern Asia's context and Taiwan's unique art history. This has led to a conservative view of realism, opposing abstraction and avant-garde art, and creating a perception of realism that diverges from European and Japanese influences, as well as from China's development. Our past interpretations of realism reflect the social constraints faced by art. This exhibition aims to transcend these limitations by rediscovering artists from the past fifty years who viewed realism as a form of resistance, much like the refusal to conform seen in realism within Taiwanese literature during the Japanese colonial period. It also seeks to explore the question of what realism means in the twenty-first century.

Simulation

In contemporary art history, photorealism stands out as a distinct realist movement. The selection of works for this exhibition initially approached realism from the perspective of photorealism, leading to the first question regarding realism: Is likeness synonymous with realism? According to Prof. Wu's research, "the terminology of sketching before and after the Republic of China actually carries different connotations: today, the term 'sketching' in Chinese typically refers to a painting method that directly depicts real objects; it is also an important means of practicing the techniques of painting expression and collecting materials for creation.. This designation is essentially a progressive method based on Western painting sketching, which was reintroduced from Japan in the 1910s through early Japanese-trained artists such as Li Shutong, Chen Baoyi, and Li Yishi, who advocated for the practice of sketching plaster casts and real-life still lifes, landscapes, and figure studies." In other words, "sketching" is a practice that leads to "realism," which is naturally understood as the depiction of real objects. However, since the Northern Song Dynasty, “sketching” has referred to a more abstract representation of nature, focusing on form and spirit rather than mere resemblance.

From this, we can easily draw connections to the works of artists such as Yeh TzuChi, Lee ChiHsiang  , Kwong Kui Cho, and Liao  Zen-Ping . These artists, while pursuing a harmony of form and spirit, resisting the simplistic technical interpretations of realism. Thus, Lee filters the discourse through the concept of the lens, while Kwong cuts off the tableau of the realistic through pastel and framing; Lee’s lens concept is further developed by Li, where the filtering gradually transforms into a digital screen and software code. Simultaneously, Li uses pigment layering to enhance materiality to cut off the tableau by contrasting style with Kwong.

L’art Vivant

Another notable aspect of these artists, particularly Liao, is their pursuit of timelessness in their work. These works, which seem to be derived from life drawing, are in fact more concerned with reminiscence, conveying a deeper artistic attitude beyond mere simulation. The subject of realism also encompasses the idea of “faire de l'art vivant.” Courbet's Realism in 1855 marked a shift from theological to material culture, emphasizing the artist's relationship with the concrete world. Today, however, 170 years later, as we transition from material to virtual culture, the concept of “being” has evolved to include relationships and illusions —many of which are closely related to the creative concepts of Chan YungGen  .

The virtual is not opposed to the real; rather, scholars argue and emphasize that both must coexist for a complete creative process. Deleuze argues that the virtual is also a form of reality; virtualization involves the processes of existence and actualization, suggesting that reality is no longer merely concrete objects but rather a joint result of materialization and actualization. This interplay occurs within a vast network of bodies, objects, and concepts, allowing for a freer artistic expression, as seen in Wong Hoi Ian ‘s Sume series.

Resistance

Walking
Lin Xiu'er (1914-1944)  

Rain, late autumn rain...  
Crawling along an amorphous spiral path, savoring the taste of late autumn alone.  
Fading and elegy, soul and body. Uniting and separating...
Sound, color, sensation. The shower of red leaves is the sound of poem.

Published in the third issue of "Windmill" in March 1934

The exhibition title is inspired by Lin Xiu Er's poignant poem, which reflects the artistic journey of Taiwan. During the 1930s, the realism found in Taiwanese literature sought to resist the narratives imposed by Japanese colonial rule, embodying a form of cultural resistance. Historically, realism has served as a means of artistic resistance since the 19th century, aiming to de-idealize and restore an unembellished reality. In this context, feminisms Wu YihHan emerges as a crucial figure, while Hilo Chen represents a silent yet powerful model of artistic expression. As a Chinese artist residing in the United States, Chen’s early works conveyed a sense of defiance through storytelling, and his Beach series, created after 1976, transformed historical realism masterpieces, fully aware of his spiritual conflict with Western culture.

However, many contemporary realistic and figurative works cater to popular taste, reducing realism to a narrow aesthetic and diluting its intellectual roots. This exhibition examies the development and continuation of the long journey and offers a brief reflection of realism before Virtual Culture unfolds its prologue. History demonstrates that when the world seeks to restore order and truth, realism inevitably resurfaces. It is crucial to acknowledge the importance of both retrospective and forward-looking realism at this time.

— Huang Yaj, Each Modern