Professor Chung Kui-ying, one of Taiwan’s first-generation female artists after the war, was a student of Liao Chi-chun. Her artistic journey mirrored that of her mentor, persistently refining her craft through the exploration of Impressionism, Fauvism, and Abstract art. Following in Liao’s footsteps, Chung immersed herself in a world of experimentation and discovery. Her works reflects an artist deeply engaged with the fluid nature of the creative process, placing greater emphasis on color and its theoretical possibilities than on composition, space, or form. In the 1970s, Chung’s palette was dominated by shades of blue and green. Later, she introduced stunning bursts of color, featuring large swaths of vivid reds and brilliant oranges, often accented with complementary color contrasts like red-green, yellow-purple, and blue-orange. Her strategic use of color created powerful visual effects that influenced the viewer’s emotions, marking one of her greatest artistic achievements. Notably, she possessed a keen sensitivity to subtle gradations of tone, crafting vibrant, saturated color blocks that showcased her effortless command of color. To immerse the viewer in her chromatic world, she deliberately minimized other visual distractions. By stripping away texture, brushstrokes, light, and perspective, she crafted a decorative, multi-dimensional world of pure color. A distinctive feature of her work was the incorporation of small yet crucial black color blocks amid the layers of pigment. These subtle yet intentional accents of black heightened the vibrancy of the surrounding hues, underscoring her masterful command of color.

The pieces featured in this exhibition exemplify Chung’s unwavering dedication to color and her relentless experimental spirit. Like stepping into a color laboratory, her works at each stage showcase different groundbreaking achievements. From tranquil blue-green landscapes to large, bold color blocks, from the dynamic interplay of hues reminiscent of a symphonic crescendo to the subtle integration of black contour lines, her artistic evolution is palpable. In her later years, her flamboyant use of color gave way to a more subdued elegance. While her compositions remained rich in hue, their intensity softened. With softened brightness and saturation, her works reached a state of quiet equilibrium, gently murmuring a farewell to the once-vivid dynamism of her earlier years.