Zhao Zhan'ao's "Ink Rhyme, Colorful Chapters" exhibition showcases original works at NTNU

The National Taiwan Normal University's Dequn Gallery is currently hosting "Ink Rhyme, Colorful Chapters – Zhao Zhan'ao Art Retrospective," an exhibition celebrating the life and work of the artist. Running until September 3rd, the exhibition offers free admission to the public.

“

Ink Rhyme, Colorful Chapters - Zhao Zhan'ao Art Retrospective

This year marks the seventh anniversary of Zhao Zhan'ao's passing. His daughter, Zhao Yunzi, curated the retrospective to reintroduce the artist's significant contributions to Taiwan's modern art scene. The exhibition aims to highlight his distinctive creative path, shaped by his life and experiences.

The exhibition is divided into two main sections: "Ink Rhyme" and "Colorful Chapters." The "Ink Rhyme" section focuses on Zhao Zhan'ao's innovative ink wash experiments, showcasing his departure from traditional landscape frameworks. Through the interplay of brushstrokes, water, and paper, he captured the vitality of mountains, lotus ponds, and stormy weather with an abstract yet representational quality.

“

This year marks the 7th anniversary of Zhao Zhan'ao's passing, and Zhao Zhan'ao's daughter Zhao Yunzi specially organized this retrospective exhibition to bring the essence of the artist's life's work back into the public eye, presenting his unique creative trajectory in Taiwan's modern art history.

The "Colorful Chapters" section features his oil paintings, including works like "Cool World" and "Landscape Legend." These pieces demonstrate how he integrated the linearity and rendering techniques of ink wash into his oil paintings. This fusion resulted in works depicting mountains, ancient cities, flowers, and snowscapes, imbuing his oil colors with both Eastern artistic spirit and a rich, solid texture.

“

The "Ink Rhyme" exhibition area focuses on Zhao Zhan'ao's ink wash experiments, presenting creativity that breaks the traditional landscape framework.

Curator Chen Yao-chi noted that the exhibition took nearly a year and a half to prepare. The team consulted with Zhao Zhan'ao's former teachers, friends, and fellow artists to thoroughly reconstruct his creative lineage and life story. Zhao Zhan'ao, who experienced wartime and migration in his early years, received professional training in art after arriving in Taiwan. He chose to live and create in Hengchun, Pingtung, for decades, remaining somewhat removed from the Taipei art circles. This geographical distance and his experiences in Hengchun, however, forged a profound and robust personal artistic language that transcended both Eastern and Western mediums.

“

The "Colorful Chapters" exhibition area displays Zhao Zhan'ao's oil paintings such as "Cool World" (1999) and "Landscape Legend" (1999).