ILLUSTRATED:

During the 1950s, Chu Teh-chun began to experiment with abstract painting, due in large part to the influence of the Russian-French painter de Stael, whose works were like a revelation to Chu. Taking slabs of color as the basic structural element and source of inspiration for his early abstract attempts, Chu, through careful reflection and design, gradually developed his own unique style. In his later years, rays of light became the focal point of his attention, conveyed by very bright and brilliant colors applied with broad strokes of a wide brush. This technique produced an effect as of dazzling iridescent lights shimmering and flickering in a dark night sky. In his latest pieces, Chu Teh-chun has already attained a level of unimpeded, free-flowing creative output, wielding his brush at will to give complete rein to his consummate skills. As the brush follows where his mind leads, moving rapidly in every desired direction, lines and shapes appear as if by magic on the canvas or paper, and the artist becomes so absorbed in his work that he imperceptibly enters a trancelike state of self-oblivion. This is easily communicated through his finished pictures, and induces a carefree and cheerful spirit in the viewer.
This painting from 2004 titled "Effusion" is one of his recent masterpieces. Numerous shades of red, yellow and blue are set off with particular intensity and luster against the black background. The bold composition and rich hues dazzle the viewer with multifaceted layers of space and color. The dotted slabs of paint seem to be dancing like musical notes on the surface of the painting, metamorphosing into blossoming flowers or bright, lucid rays of light the next moment, ever communicating the multitude of pleasant recollections of a long life effusing from the depth of the artist's heart.