ILLUSTRATED:

When the first generation of the heritage auction companies was established in Taipei in 1990, the works of older painters of Taiwan were major objective at that time. In 1992, Sotheby's held the first auction in Taipei, Liao Chichun's "Turtle Island" appeared on the cover of the catalog of the auction, representing a great attention people to the local artistic master. The painting was transacted at the price of NT$ 6.4 million at that time and ranked the top of the amount in the auction. Later, Liao Chi-chun's works were often the top choice for various auction catalogs of Taipei, or the leading goods for auction. It was not for his lofty position that keeping price high, but for color of his paintings, so splendid and favorable. He became one of the painters whose works frequently appeared on the cover of various auction catalogs of Taiwan previously. In 2003, Taiwan Federal & Culture & Education Foundation decided to set up "Award for Contribution to Fine Arts of Taiwan" to commend artist predecessors who made contribution to fine arts movements and fine arts education of Taiwan. Through repeated vote in the evaluation committee, the first winner was Liao Chi-chun.

Personally, Liao Chi-chun is regarded as one of the paramount masters in development of modern Chinese fine arts. His works present an orient abstract spirit and a particular color and element in Chinese arts, emanating unparalleled aesthetic feeling. No matter how the f ine ar ts thought and the academi c environment change, Liao Chi-chun is always favored by people. Af ter his passing away, for years, he is still in the minds of many artists. All the documents about Liao Chi-chun are full of admiration.

Angle-like mind

Liao Chi-chun was one of the early Taiwan artists studying in Japan, Chen Cheng-po, his classmate in painting teaching faculty in Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. In 1928 and 1931, Liao Chi-chun was selected into the 9th and 12th of Japanese "Imperial Exhibition" with his "Courtyard with Banana Trees" and "Scenery with Coconut Trees" respectively. It was a very high artistic achievement at that time in Taiwan. In his early years, he won prizes many times and participated in numerous exhibitions. Together with several artistic friends, he established "Red Island Association", namely the latter "Tai-Yang Fine Arts Association", in order to launch painting exhibition and motivate creation mutually. In the view of the history of fine arts and education, he was not only the initiator of Tai-Yang Exhibition, a member and syndic for western style painting department from the 1st exhibition to the 39th exhibition, but worked as a teacher, for a long time, in the normal university, arts junior college, arts school and etc. He gave not only a great influence on students but on the circle of western style painting in Taiwan. Most of the semiabstract and semi-concrete style of oil painting in Taiwan got influence from Liao Chi-chun. Most of the active young painters of Taiwan in 1960's and 1970's got his guidance. Especially, in the special political background and conservative mind a t tha t t ime , Li ao Chi - chun encouraged students to set up Fifth Moon Painting Association to launch exhibition and even, himself, jointly participated in exhibition. Therefore, Liao Chi-chun was an important spiritual mentor in the minds of later-coming artists. He encouraged students to create free and was very beloved and respected by his student. In his life, he devoted to creation and teaching for over 50 years long.

Facing the change of artistic trend in new epoch, with his level-headed skills and innovative talent he endowed the object being painted with ingenious idea of color and deformation, convincing those young painters. It was just because, in different stages of his life, he kept creating his artistic summits, his painting works are favored by collectors.

Liao Chi-chun's arts are just like a world full of lyric emotion and imagination. In despite of the poverty and wartime the artist experienced in his life, his paintings always gave people an expectation and joviality, especially, the works in his late years, overflowing with the color of youth and bright tempo, splendid as rainbow, giving out a sort of warm feeling. Once, his student asked him the reason why his works in late stage were with much more younger vigor than those in early year, with a humor, he answered that it was his name "Chi-chun". Literally, in Chinese, it means youth for ever. Was it really the name which gave him the mission? Actually, in the memory of his fellow artists or students, it was just due to Liao Chi-chun's devotion as well as his piousness and dedication in religious belief. Sculptor Yuyu Yang ever described Liao Chi-chun "his painting is sheer reflection of angle-like mind". Painting is a mirror reflecting pristine inner mind of the painter. His sincerity and honesty won a pervasive praise in artistic circle.