Tags: art | Hsi De-Chin | painting

Hsi De-Chin (1923–1981), 1977

Ink and color painting, 55 x 74.5 cm

Born to a rich family in South County of Xichuan, Hsi De-Chin became a student of Lin Feng-Mian in 1942 and developed a painting style in which forceful, bold black lines were used. He acquainted many painters such as Tsao Wu-Ji, Chu Teh-Chun and Li Chun-Shan. After the war, he moved to Taiwan before visiting the U.S., where he was influenced by the shape and color displays of Op Art and Hard Edge. In his later years Hsi shifted the objects of his work back to Taiwanese scenery. Kinmen Old House is a 1977 ink and color painting, done when Hsi was 54. Strong black lines simply and geometrically outline the contours of the triangle roofs in Kinmen, with up and down curves creating music-like rhythms. In terms of color usage, the soft and moist characteristic of ink is displayed. In the foreground, the block of red draws the attention of a viewer, showcasing the features of southern Fujianese architecture. This painting also reveals Hsi's reflections and transformation after his return from the U.S. From a promoter of Western paintings, he became a guardian of Eastern traditional folk art, as exemplified by this painting of Kinmen, a place full of historical buildings and cultural heritage.

Department of Graphic Communications and Digital Publishing, Shih Hsin University Digital archiving project of the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines

Original Chinese text is composed by Professor Cheng-Ming Su, Department of Visual Arts, Taipei Municipal University of Education