Chen Houei-kuen

Chen Houei-Kuen
Born	(1907-06-25)June 25, 1907 Lonjing Town, Taichung County
Died	February 10, 2011(2011-02-10) (aged 103) Taipei, Taiwan
Nationality	Taiwan
Education	Tokyo University of the Arts (fine arts)[1]
Known for	Visual arts
Notable work	Hometown Longjing (1928),[2] Freshwater downhill, (1960),[3] Aerial view of Naples (1961) [4]
Awards	"Ten Outstanding Senior Artist Award", " Golden Harvest Award", " National Literary Award" [5]
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	陳慧坤
Simplified Chinese	陈慧坤
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Chen Huikun

Chen Houei-Kuen (Chinese: 陳慧坤; pinyin: Chen Huikun; June 25, 1907 – February 10, 2011) was a Taiwanese artist,^[6] notable for being an activist in merching Chinese painting styles and techniques in art of Europe. Some of his work are considered as a fusion of Eastern Gouache, oil paintings and ink wash painting skills. Born in Lonjing Town, Taichung , Taiwan, and trained in Tokyo, Chen worked as a teacher in secondary school, as an art professor in universities for more than 45 years and a contemporary artist. He has a long history of involvement and contribution in contemporary art and education. His painting style integrate both eastern and western styles. Besides, he served as preparations for the provincial exhibition, faculty development, student exhibition of the committee, evaluation committee, council members. He also organised two dozens solo exhibition since 1962 and had won many prestigious awards like "Ten Outstanding Senior Artist Award", "Golden Harvest Award",and "National Literary Award".^[7] He is a well known artist and educationist.

Early life

Chen was born in Longjing, a town in Taichung, Taiwan on June 25, 1907.^[8] In 1915, he went to Tatu Township Public Schools and his father died in the same year. His mother died in 1920 and then he moved to his aunt’s home and changed to study at Wuci public school. After five months, he moved back to his hometown and lived with his grandmother. In 1928, he went to Japan for tertiary education at Tokyo School of Fine Arts. In 1929, he displayed his work in a museum in the name of “Nakajima Inc.” with 13 other artists. In the same year, he married with his first wife. He graduated in March 1930, but he was unemployed for three years, but was selected twice for the Taiwan Art Exhibition. He was an art teacher at Taichung Business School between 1934 and 1945.^[9] His wife died in 1935. In 1939, he married with Xie Bilian but she died due to miscarriage. in 1946, he was employed for the student admission of Junior college of Taichung. Also, two of his art works were displayed in Taichung Art Exhibition.He was an art teacher at Taichung Business School between 1934 and 1945. His wife died in 1935. In 1939, he married with Xie Bilian but she died due to miscarriage. in 1946, he was employed for the student admission of Junior college of Taichung. Also, two of his art works were displayed in Taichung Art Exhibition. He was hired as a lecturer in National Taiwan Normal University. The next year, he was promoted to associate professor.

Career and education

After graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1931, Chen Houei Kuen employed as a part-time teacher at Taichung Commercial School (now the National Taichung Institute of Technology) to demonstrate commercial art in 1934. After three year, his wife suffered serious ill and died, he transferred to Xin Gong Public school and served as a full-time substitute teacher with stable income. He married with his colleague Miss Xie Bi-lian, but after 2 years, he had lost two children and his second wife. However, he immersed himself in his artwork and concentrated on his Eastern Gouache works. Thus, his works such as “ Stroll in Freedom”, “Autumn Harvest”, “Scene of Lakefront” and “Mountain Hiking” were selected for the annual exhibition which inspired him a lot.^[10]

In 1945, Chen Houei Kuen left Xin Gao Public School after losing his second wife and two children. He moved to Taichung First Girls High School and assigned to be the head of Academic Affairs at Taichuang City High School. After one year, Chen’s “Appreciation” was on display at the First Provincial Art Exhibition and won the Academic and Industrial Award. After that, Chen was assigned as a lecture in the Department of Fine Arts at Provincial Normal College in 1947. Also, his Eastern Gouache work “Aboriginals in Taiwan” won the Chairman Award in the second year of the Provincial Art Exhibition. His artworks became more famous and Chen was promoted to an Associate Professor in 1948. At the same year, Chen had three paintings on display in the third year of Provincial Art Exhibition such as “Tamshui Scenery”, “Research Room for Ancient Art History” and “Stroll in Freedom”. After this exhibition, he became one of the member of the juror committee at the Art Exhibition for after years.

Whiling he was teaching at Provincial Normal College, he worked with the famous painter Pu Xin-yu. This offer them a great opportunity to learn from each other. Since Chen was keen on exploring “how” and “why” and with good relationship with Pu xinyu, he was able to acquire new techniques and procedures. Chen Houei Kuen’s desire is to improve the art form and he emphasized artistic, imaginative sketching instead of copying nature. Therefore, he created an innovative painting style which combined Eastern and Western art ideology and techniques. In order to studying Eastern and Western art ideology and techniques, Chen made two research trips to Japan in 1950s which mainly for the purpose of studying art. In 1960s, he studied in France for one year and he visited many art museums, putting his ideas into notes. Besides, he visited Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany sketching the place that he had traveled. Starting in 1969, he spent seven summer vacations to travel around the Europe to study and visit the great museums and buildings there. Chen produced huge amount of artworks in the Europe travelling. After that, he held the “ Tour in Europe Exhibitions” and there are total of 10 exhibitions were held. These exhibitions are the result of his studying in Eastern and Western art. For instance, in 1973 in France, he put oil paint on rice paper and adopting the painting skills and methods that used in showing the rocks and mountains in Chinese landscape painting to create “Mont. Blanc, Alps”. Furthermore, he used western perspective techniques in eastern painting to create “ The Gate of Temple Tosho” in 1982. It is the most well-known piece which took him more than one year to finish. The painting “Medici Fountain” also famous as it combinated of Eastern and Western techniques. With great contribution in artworks, Chen Houei-Kuen’s painting were regarded as the “Painting Symphony of Taiwan”.^[11]

From 1946, his art pieces was continually demonstrated in different exhibition and received numerous awards. He received the Academic and Industrial Award from The Province First Art Exhibition in 1946 and received Chairman Award from The Provincial Second Art Exhibition in 1967. In 1976, he devoting to education for 4 decades, and the Ministry of Education awarded him the Excellent Teacher Award. In 1989, Taichung County awarded Chen Houei-Kuen the Golden Tassel Award as one of the top 10 senior remarkable artists. In addition, he also received the Culture Award of Executive Yuan (1997), The Art & Business Awards of the Council for Cultural Affairs (1999), the President Lee Teng-hui awarded Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon (2000) and the seventh National Award for Arts (2003) from the National Culture and Arts Foundation.^[12] Chen died on February 10, 2011 at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei.^[13]

Notable works^[14]

Year	Title	Specification
1966	Freshwater Guanyin Mountain	plastic color paper (200 x 98 cm)
1968	Very Falls	plastic color paper (184 x 129 cm)
1973	Alps	plastic color paper (73 x 92 cm)
1981	Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Arch	Oil on canvas (55 x 46 cm)
1987	Qi Fang Kam	Oil on canvas (55 x 46 cm)
1950	Poppy	plastic color paper (64 x 52 cm)
1959	Taroko	plastic color paper (73 x 58 cm)
1965	Fresh white mansions	Oil on canvas (61 x 50 cm)
1966	Ascenic nine	pastel paper (66.6 x 53 cm)
1967	Look Rueifang nine waterfront	plastic color paper (134 x 92 cm)
1968	Nine scenic	Oil on canvas (73 x 60 cm)
1969	Ning Hong Bi-sur-Marne	Oil on canvas (73 x 60 cm)
1972	The first peak of Yushan	plastic color paper (92 x 180 cm)
1973	Blanc first peak	plastic color paper (131 x 195 cm)
1975	Leuven suburbs	Oil on canvas (55 x 46 cm)
1978	Ye Liu Fengjing	plastic color paper (184 x 124 cm)
1979	Wenwu Court Taying	plastic color paper (181 x 96 cm)
1981	Nikko Toshogu Tangmen	Oil on canvas (73 x 60 cm)
1981	Egret City	plastic color paper (186 x 124.5 cm)
1982	Yosemite Valley,California	Oil on canvas (55 x 46 cm)

Exhibitions

1.1952 on May 4–12, Taiyang exhibition of painting "Wulai valley", "Smile", "can be high waterfall."

2.1956 on August 10–20, Taiyang exhibition of painting "sister.

3.1957 on December 7–16 days, the province's art exhibition, painting exhibition "A level."

4.1957 on August 21–27, Taiyang exhibition of painting "Tamkang afar."

5.1960 on May 25 –29 days, Taiyang exhibition of painting "downhill."

6.1965 on May 2–9, Chen Hui, double exhibition Zhangdao Lin, Taipei International Gallery.

7.1972 on November 30 to December 5, a long stream of Painting, an exhibition of plastic color "Yushan first peak."

8.1973 on October 3–8, a long stream Painting, plastic color display "on the outskirts of Paris," "other house."

9.1974 on December 3–8, a long stream Painting, plastic color display "Mt. plateau."

10.1976, Professor exhibition - to commemorate the birthday of President Chiang Kai-shek Jiu Zhi, painting exhibition "Blanc first peak."

11.1976, the Fine Arts Department of Normal - to celebrate the 30th anniversary, featuring painting "Riverside Belgium belfry."

12.1980, the annual literary sixty-nine of activities, painting exhibition "Wenwu Court reflection."

13.1982 year's Art Exhibition - Senior Artists Works Review, painting exhibition "hometown Longjing" painting "freshwater landscape" painting "Himeji Castle."

14.1983, the first session of the Kaohsiung Exhibition, an exhibition of Chinese painting "pull off the temple shrine."

15.1984, the second session of the Kaohsiung Exhibition, featuring paintings, "the San Francisco Bay."

16.1985 on October 1 –15 days, Lin, Yuan Shu really, Chen Hui-three exhibition galleries Howard.

17.1985, the Fine Arts Department of Normal exhibition featuring paintings "hometown Longjing Chuk Hang."

18.1985, the province's fortieth anniversary retrospective art exhibition, painting exhibition "Ancient Art Research" painting "Do not desert Ha Palace of Versailles," painting "pine plains," painting "shows a lone pine alone."

19.1985 year to celebrate the recovery of Taiwan forty Professor Zhou Nian exhibition featuring paintings "hometown Longjing Chuk Hang."

20.1986, the third Kaohsiung art exhibition featuring paintings, "violinist."

21.1986, the Republic of the Eleventh National Art Exhibition, featuring paintings "hometown Longjing Chuk Hang."

22.1986 year, to commemorate the centenary of Chiang Kai-shek and celebrate Veterans Day eighteenth exhibition, painting exhibition "Youth Park."

23.1987 on October 11–20, Normal University professor Lin, Yuan Shu really, Chen Hui-three exhibition galleries Howard.

24.1987, the contemporary character art exhibition of paintings "open."

25.1987, the ROC college professor art exhibition, painting exhibition "Mino sights."

26.1988, the Republic of contemporary art exhibitions, painting exhibition "Paris streets."

27.1988 years, Taichung County Artists Exhibition, an exhibition of traditional Chinese painting, "Chung Cheng Park Hon pool."

28.1988, Professor Normal exhibition, painting exhibition "Hanyinongsun" painting "Taiwan vulgar room."

29.1988, ROC art development exhibition of painting "Buddha Mountain view."

30.1989 on June 4 –17 days, Chen Jin, Lin, Chen Hui three plastic painting exhibition, (individual exhibition twenty), the National History Museum.

31.1989 years, high mountains Painting Exhibition - Commemorating the death of Chiang Ching-kuo system so Cong anniversary painting exhibition "Verde."

32.1990 on September 28 - October 14, Lin, Yuan Shu really, Chen Hui-three exhibition, Howard Gallery.

33.1991 years, Professor Normal sixth exhibition, painting exhibition "Hon Chung Cheng Park pool."

34.1991 on April 27, the first session will be green water painting, painting exhibition "freshwater baiyang museum."

35.1992, the Republic of the 13th National Art Exhibition, featuring paintings "Yehliu harbor."

36.1992, the second session of the green water Painting, painting exhibition "Miles waves" 8F.

37.1992 years earlier art movement document Taiwan exhibition, painting exhibition "poolside" "Longjing home," painting "Untitled."

38.1993 years, contemporary Chinese painting masters painting exhibition, painting exhibition "Summer Palace Marble Boat."

39.1993, the artist in the eyes of freshwater, painting exhibition "freshwater baiyang Hall."

40.1993 on May 1 to 16, the third green water Painting, painting exhibition "Yehliu fishing port" 10 F, Taipei Gothic galleries.

41.1993 years, Taiwan senior artists work special exhibition of painting "lone pine alone show a" painting "Pinehill Plains" painting "Where Do Ersai Ha desert palace."

42.1994, Taiwan artist's Who participated painting "Blanc first peak."

43.1994 years, the development of Taiwan painting retrospective painting exhibition "Geneva."

44.1994 on May 18 to 31, the fourth green water tempera painting will be exhibited glue "on the outskirts of Dazhi" 10F.

45.1994, the senior painter plastic color exhibition, painting exhibition glue "Thom Dayton poolside Spring" glue tempera "Verde" glue tempera "mansion farmhouse" glue painting "on the outskirts of Matsuyama."

46.1994 years, Taipei - senior artists in France Paris exhibition of painting "Seine River"; Paris, France exhibited painting "Himeji Castle" painting "freshwater downhill" original "freshwater downhill study" painting " Freshwater street. "

47.1994 years, the image of the era of Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts: Painting Taiwan Development Review, painting exhibition "Geneva."

48.1995 on July 1 to 28, the Republic of the fourteenth session of the National Art Exhibition, featuring paintings "Nanfang-ao."

49.1995 years, Taiwan predecessors Artists Works Exhibition (c), painting exhibition "Yehliu seaside" painting "Napoli bird's-eye view."

50.1995 year eighty senior beauty Artists exhibited painting "Geneva" painting "freshwater baiyang Pavilion", painting "Niagara Falls."

51.1995, Professor Normal exhibition, painting exhibition "Garden and the Maiden," painting "St. Louis suburbs," painting "Hangzhou Jade Belt Bridge" painting "Niagara Falls."

52.1995 on June 3 –15 days, the fifth green water Painting, painting exhibition "on the outskirts of Paris."

53.1995, the third long stream exhibition featuring "Mt. original plateau."

54.1996 on September 21 - October 3, will be the sixth green water painting, painting exhibition "Mu Lan afternoon" 4 F, painting "Phalaenopsis" 4 F.

55.1996 years, the Chinese contemporary masters painting hundred exhibition, painting exhibition "towering clouds" 20 F.

56.1997, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts held - French Impressionist masterpieces D'Orsay Museum exhibition "Impressionism Lake east of Taiwan," painting exhibition by "hometown Longjing."

57.1997, the seventh green water Painting, painting exhibition "bellflower" 10 F.

58.1998, the eighth green water Painting, painting exhibition "Orchids"; Guo wood raw art exhibition center "on the outskirts of Matsuyama," "City of the music", "pull off the temple shrine", "civil and military Taying Court."

59.1998, the National Art fifteenth, painting exhibition "Jialing."

60.1999, the art department NORMAL fiftieth anniversary, glue painting exhibition "Kikyo."

61.1999 October 16–24 May, will be the ninth green water painting, painting exhibition glue "on the outskirts of Paris."

62.1999 In April–December, Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum launched the "expansion and the establishment of the East Asian painting" (1850 ~ 1950), Shizuoka, Japan, Hyogo Prefecture, Tokushima Prefecture, Utsunomiya City, Fukuoka City traveling exhibition painting exhibition "hometown Longjing" painting "since like painting."

63.1999, 1999, famous paintings exhibition, painting exhibition, "St. Louis four towns. Lake scenery."

64.2000 September - 2001 February, the New York Cultural Center organized the "Taiwan Spirit - Modern style and cultural heritage of the dialogue", the exhibition "Mei Dixi fountain."

65. September 23, 2000, Chen Shui-bian to move America into the house of God, the exhibition "Wulai Waterfall."

66.2001, the 11th green water Painting, an exhibition "on the outskirts of Matsuyama."

67.2002 on May 3–19, Asia Art Center and the National Taiwan Normal University, organized by "Taipei scenery: the beauty of monuments," exhibit "Taipei outskirts of the old house," "fresh white mansions."

68. May 7, 2002 –12 days, "Ink New Era - Exhibition of Contemporary Ink cross-strait exchanges," display "can be high waterfall."

69.2002 on September 17–22, green water Painting, an exhibition, "Kenneth burdock blue."

70.2002 on November 22-December 1, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts hosted "French Autumn Salon Exhibition: Focus temporal paintings - Taiwan" exhibition "Kazakhstan desert Versailles Palace do not."

71.2002 on December 7 –18 days, exhibitors Taiwan Art Association "sixty-five Taiyang six decades elegance."

72.2002 on November 22-December 1, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts hosted the exhibition "French Autumn Salon."

73.2003 on March 21 - May 25, drawing a long stream flow galleries president hosted "Time scale: five years of post-war Taiwan Art" exhibition, on display "Verde"

74.2003 on April 19 - June 15, Taipei Fine Arts Museum hosted "fifties Taiwan Art Exhibition" featuring "A level."

Awards

1.1946, the province's First Art Exhibition, won the school production award, painting exhibition "Shang Hua."

2.1947, the province's second session of the Art Exhibition, won the Chairman's Award, the exhibition "Taiwan vulgar room."

3.1976, the Ministry of Education issued "an excellent sampling of teachers' service four years.

4.1989 years, was the first artist in Taichung County Golden Harvest Ten Outstanding Senior Award.

5.1997 on December 29, issued by the Executive Yuan, Executive Yuan Culture Award.

6.1999 on April 26, issued by the Council for Cultural Affairs Wenxin Award.

7.1999 on December 29, by the Taipei City Government Honorary Citizen Award.

8.2000 on May 5, President Lee presented the second Order of Brilliant Star award.

9.2002 on May 4, by the China Arts Association Literary Award honors.

10.2003 on October 8, National Culture and Arts Foundation Seventh National Literary Award.

Books (reference)

1. 家庭美術館 美術家傳記: 陳慧坤 2.蒼松映長春－陳慧坤九五回顧展專輯

References