The works of Liao Chi-Chun (1902–1976) are celebrated for their uniquely romantic, vibrant colors, as if expressing symphonic visual poetry highlighted by a rainbow-like palette. The purity of the color and the sense of freedom in his brushstrokes demonstrate the power of his compositions, reflecting his inner artistic world of harmony and leaving a lasting visual impression on viewers. The year 2026 will mark the 50th anniversary of his passing. The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) has organized this exhibition to revisit and honor his significant and profound influence on the development of Taiwanese art history.

Liao dedicated his entire life to painting. From 1927 to 1943, he actively participated in the Taiwan Art Exhibition (Taiten), consistently delivering excellent works. He also served as a juror for the Western-style Painting Division from the 6th to the 8th Taiten (1932–1934). In 1928 and 1931, his works were selected for the Imperial Art Exhibition of Japan (Teiten). Later, in 1937 and 1938, he was twice selected for the New Ministry of Education Art Exhibition (New Bunten), earning him significant recognition in the art scene. Liao was also a dedicated educator, nurturing artistic talent at various institutions, including Tainan Presbyterian Middle School, Tainan First High School, Taichung Normal School (now National Taichung University of Education), National Taiwan Normal University, National Taiwan Academy of Arts (now National Taiwan University of Arts), and Chinese Cultural University. Additionally, Liao actively contributed to the development of the art scene, taking part in the founding of art groups such as the “Red Sun Society” (赤陽畫會, 1927), “Red Island Society” (赤島社, 1929), and “Tai-Yang Art Association” (臺陽美術協會, 1934). After World War II, he served as a long-term mentor and advisor to many art competitions, including the Taiwan Provincial Fine Arts Exhibition (全省美展) and the National Art Exhibition, R.O.C. (全國美術展覽會). Throughout Taiwan’s martial law period, he encouraged students to embrace new painting ideas despite the restrictive authoritarian climate, supporting the formation of the Fifth Moon Group (五月畫會), which opened a new path for abstract art in Taiwan.

Liao’s artistic achievements can be divided into three main phases, shaped by the social environment, cultural background, and art movements. During his studies in Japan, he was trained in the en plein air style, which emphasized outdoor sketching and the sharp capture of changes in natural light, resulting in works with vibrant colors. Meanwhile, the impact of Fauvism’s bold style is clear in his daring, evolving expressive techniques. Starting in the late 1940s, he adopted more subjective uses of color, often employing monochromatic schemes such as green, soft greenish blue, or pink to unify his compositions. In the 1950s, influenced by Western modern painting, he explored cubist-style segmentation and abstract painting techniques. In 1962, he was invited to visit the U.S. and Europe, which catalyzed a pivotal and transformative shift in his artistic journey. This experience motivated him to develop a new style that simplified concrete forms or abandoned representational imagery altogether, expressing abstract ideas through line and color alone. He introduced unique hues such as lemon yellow, pink, and sky blue into his palette, creating a distinctive “visual musicality” in his paintings through the interplay of multiple colors, tones, brightness, and saturation. Although his later works moved away from pure abstraction, they also moved beyond depicting figurative subjects, instead using concise, free, and semi-abstract brushwork, combined with his signature refined color expression, to convey the meaning and spirit of his art.

This exhibition features works from the collections of the NTMoFA, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the National Museum of History, the Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Fine Arts, the artist’s family, and private collectors, totaling 128 pieces. These include 96 oil paintings, along with 32 watercolors, sketches, and pastel drawings, as well as numerous documents, photographs, and books related to his life. Organized into four subthemes, the exhibition showcases and explores Liao’s creative context, subjects, and styles. It thoroughly examines his artistic practice and overall participation in cultural development, aiming to foster new understandings and dialogues between the public and Liao’s works and artistic achievements.

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Rhythmic Beauty in the Interplay of Colors: Liao Chi-Chun's World of Art

Date | 2025. 2. 7 — 2025. 5. 10

Time | Tue.-Fri. 09:00～17:00, Sat.-Sun. 09:00～18:00

Location | NTMoFA Gallery 101

Organizer | National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts

Curators |  Hsueh Yen-Ling  

Supervisor | Ministry of Culture (Taiwan) R.O.C

Organizer | National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts

Co-organizer | Taipei Fine Arts Museum