Headlands Center for the Arts

Artist Statement

I went to an exhibition of “The Native Born: Contemporary Aboriginal Art from Australia”, which was held in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, in 2003. That was my first time to see the painting drawn by the indigenous people from Australia, which motivated me to think the issues concerning indigenous art today. I traveled in Australia and did my artistic works. I went to an exhibition of indigenous art in Melbourne in 2005. My started kept asking myself many questions about the past and future of indigenous art in Taiwan, even so when I went back to Taiwan. Then I decided to identify myself as an indigenous people (a Truku as well as an Atayal), which was a starting point for my artist work. I explored how local Atayal people think their life experiences from past to the present – all of which became the source of my paintings. In other words, I focus on the people’s life experience, their perspectives on life and their ethnic identity.

While At Headlands

I plan to visit the Native American community a month before I start my work. I will use a camera and a sketch to keep a record of my daily interaction with them, which will later be the source of my artistic work. I will use symbol, which I believe represents a type of language, to do my artistic work. Perhaps we can find those symbols in the traditional costumes, household utensils and tattoos. I believe that a symbol is used to convey the ethos in every indigenous people and to enrich their culture. I hope everyone can understand the background of an indigenous people by knowing the symbol in this context. My work will be based on an oil painting and the topic will be centered on people and symbol. For the rest of time (1.5 months), I hope I can complete 1 or 2 pieces of work, with the size(s) of which being 60-80cm. If I have enough space, I will hold an exhibition of oil painting and photograph together. The time of exhibition will be held on May 9– 15.