From China to Taiwan: Pioneers of Abstraction was a group exhibition held at Museum of Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium from 15 June to 24 September 2017.[1] The exhibitions traces the origins and evolution of twentieth-century Chinese abstract painting. Aside from the works, it also explores the careers of those Chinese artists, who were obliged to leave their homeland and seek refuge in Taiwan.[2]
In 1950, the United States protected Taiwan from mainland China and introduced Western culture. Soon, the artists gradually discovered Impressionism and the abstract art of the schools in New York and Paris from the magazines and books in the American Library in Taipei.[3]
In this context of change, new schools of art sprang up. Chu Teh-Chun lectured on art at Taiwan Provincial Normal University between 1951 and 1955,[citation needed] and Lee Chun-Shan taught students in his studio on Antung Street in Taipei from 1950 to 1955.[4] Although they were quite different, both of them had knowledge and great interest in Western art and encouraged their students to develop their own style. Their teaching methods broke away from an ancestral Chinese tradition that advocated copying the masters' works, with little room for individual creativity.[2]
In 1956 and 1957, two important avant-garde Taiwanese movements were formed: the Ton Fan Group, founded by eight of Lee Chun-Shan's pupils[5] and the Fifth Moon Group (also known as Wuyue Group) by followers of Chu Teh-Chun.[6]
Through Abstraction, the artists in Taiwan were able to become part of the international modernist movement, while expressing their deep cultural roots[1] and revitalising 20th-century Chinese painting at the intersection of the East and West.[7]
The exhibition catalogue From China to Taiwan: Pioneers of Abstraction was produced under the research direction of Sabine Vazieux, with the assistance of Huang Chiu-Chen, and published in the collaboration of Museum of Ixelles and Racine, Lannoo Publisher.[2]
Rickovia Leung. Exhibition Review: ‘From China to Taiwan: Pioneers of Abstraction (1955–1985)’ at Museum of Ixelles, Brussels, Orientations, Vol. 48-Number 5, Sep/Oct 2017.[16]
^Sullivan, Michael, 1916-2013. (1996). Art and artists of twentieth-century China. University of California Press. ISBN0520075560. OCLC33245946.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Sullivan, Michael, 1916-2013 (1997) [1989]. The meeting of Eastern and Western art. University of California Press. ISBN0520212363. OCLC39148537.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Zhuang, Zhe, 1934-; 莊喆, 1934- (2015). Zhuang Zhe hui gu zhan : hong meng yu han chang = Chuang Che retrospective exhibition : effusive vitality. Liu, Yongren, 1958-, 劉永仁, 1958-, Taibei Shi li mei shu guan,, 臺北市立美術館 (Chu ban ed.). Taibei Shi. ISBN9789860472370. OCLC948606689.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Feng, Zhongrui, 1934-; 馮鍾睿, 1934- (2015). Fong Chung Ray : a retrospective, 2015 (Chu ban ed.). [Xianggang?]. ISBN9789996571060. OCLC927309515.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^霍剛 (繪畫), 1932- (July 2016). 原點.解析 : 霍剛的東方抽象語法 = Contemplating the original point : the oriental abstract language of HO Kan. Cai ni guo ji wen hua. ISBN9789868844964. OCLC1000327311.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^林壽宇 (2010). 一卽一切 : 向大師致敬系列 : 林壽宇50年創作展 = One is everything : homage to the master : 50 years of work by Richard Lin. Gao xiong shi li mei shu guan. ISBN9789860232110. OCLC733418865.