The political tension in the years following the Second World War provided the stimulus for a “golden age” of cultural and artistic creation in Taiwan in the 1960s. The flourishing of modernist literature was paralleled by the growth of abstract painting; Shiy De-jinn was a part of this modern art movement. During one heated discussion between proponents of figurative art and advocates of abstract art, Shiy De-jinn – who produced both types of art – was asked whether painting abstract works and painting realist works induced different sensations in him.

Shiy replied that: “For me, creating figurative paintings is a pleasure, while producing abstract paintings is a kind of release.” For Shiy, there was no contradiction in painting both figurative and abstract works. He enjoyed the sense of beauty that creating figurative paintings provided, while also appreciating the opportunity to express true emotionthrough abstract art. This desire to have the best of both worlds can be seen in one common feature of Shiy’s work during this period – the placing of realistic depictions of
human figures in front of an abstract background. Shiy was widely recognized as the most accomplished portrait painter of his generation.

This portrait in oil – “Woman,” painted in 1961 – depicts an attractive, statuesque society
lady; her hairstyle, clothing and accessories all suggest someone from a wealthy family. The simple, bright colors of the background create a hazy, abstract feel, which serves to further highlight the beauty of the subject. When examining the portraits that Shiy Dejinn produced over the course of his career, besides appreciating the ways in which Shiy brings across the refinement and elegance of his subjects, there is also great pleasure to be had in seeing how Shiy handles the color tones for the background; while the type of subject matter that Shiy chose for his portraits varied relatively little over the years, the backgrounds that he used were constantly changing.