Tags: art | Chin Jun-Tso | painting

Chin Jun-Tso (1922–1983), 1975
Oil painting, 45 x 36 cm

Born in Tainan, Chin Jun-Tso received artistic instructions from Kyuryudo in Japan. At the age of 24, Chin already demonstrated his talent in the Taiwan Art Exhibition and was subsequently recommended to join the Tai-yang Art Society. He quickly rose to stardom in the art world and established the Blue Cloud Painting Association and Era Art Society. After serving as a judge in the Taiwan Art Exhibition; however, Chin withdrew from both Tai-yang and Taiwan Art Exhibitions, the mainstream art groups. The decision was made because he felt that there were conflicts between his position and personal preference. Chin devoted his whole life to painting and passed away next to an easel. He painted the China Rose in 1975 at the age of 53. Bold and wild brushstrokes rendered the canvas blue; swift strokes distinguished table from vase. The flowers, painted in lurid, dazzling red against the tranquil blue background, gave a feeling that a strike of thunder had broken the silent night. Chin used daring and lucid touch of oil paintings to illustrate the China rose, which is commonly seen in the fields of sub-tropical regions. Without delving into the details and compositions of the flowers, he fully expressed passion of the flowers in full bloom. During Chin’s long pursuit of art, his paintings grew more and more avant-garde and stylish; remain unchanged is his poetic touch. Unlike the Western Cubism though, Chin retained a sensitive heart that allowed him to analyze the composition but not rely solely on pure rationalism. The fountain head of his lively heart, after all, came from Chin’s eternal belief in nature, homeland and human nature.

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