Mr. Liu Chi-hsiang was born to the No. 1 clan of Tainan County's Liouying Township in 1910. His father is a member of the local gentry class. Inspired by his art teacher's compliments in childhood, Liu went to Japan as a young lad to pursue further studies and was admitted to the Art Department of Tokyo Bunka Gakuin, majoring in western painting. Later he took the advice of his Japanese teacher and went to France to better his skills. The experience makes him one of the few Taiwanese avant-garde painters to have studied in Japan and France. In 1930, Liu left for France with friend Yang San-lang. Another friend Yen Shui-lung arrived at France later. During his three-year stay at France, Liu studied extensively the masterpieces showcased in museums and imitated several great late nineteenth-century figure and landscape paintings. Liu had already acquainted himself with the works of Manet, Renoir, and Cezanne in Japan. The works of Manet and Cezanne showcased in Palais de Louvre stood out as particularly familiar for the young artist. Liu regards the two masters as the pioneers representing modern painting concepts. He studied their works closely in the hope of capturing the spiritual essence and developing creative interpretations.
During his stay in France, Liu entered Palais de Louvre every morning as an energetic and enthusiastic learner. After picking up his painting paraphernalia at the front desk, he stood next to the masterpieces and worked for hours non-stop until noon. He started with the three-month imitation of Manet's "Boy Plays Flute" Then he spent twice as much time on the imitation of Olympia, another masterpiece created by Manet. Liu used the same size, composition, styles, and colors as the originals, applying the most basic techniques to learn from the masterpieces.
With valuable insights gleaned from the masterpieces and his own innovative ideas, Liu created "The Lady in Red" in 1933. The paining was selected by the Salon d'automne later the year. After four years of stay in Europe, Liu returned to southern Taiwan where he became a permanent resident and an active supporter of the Taiwanese art movement. Liu was one of the few early generation painters who chose to stay away from Taipei.
Liu's imitation of Olympia was showcased in his Europe Exhibition held at the Three Secrets Hall in Hare Ginza, Tokyo from March 20 to 24, 1936. A month later the work was showcased at the Taipei Education Hall. The invitation carries words of recommendation written by Ishii kakutei of Tokyo Bunka Gakuin: "Mr. Liu Chi-hsiang, a graduate of Tokyo College of Cultural Studies'Art Department who had spent years studying at Europe, will showcase his masterpieces created in Europe at the Three Secrets Hall. Two of his landscape masterpieces were showcased in last autumn's "NIKA Association Exhibition". This exhibition provides a great opportunity to further appreciate the characteristics of his works. His renowned masterpiece "The Lass"("The Lady in Red" was selected in the 1933 Salon dautomne. His landscape painting improved as he traveled around Italy and southern France. His works are characterized by the primitiveness, refined beauty, and brightness similar to that of pastels paintings. He neither blindly complies with abstractionism nor despises recreation. His imitation of Manet is a testimony to his respect for the tradition of western painting."Extracted from Yen Chuan-ying, "Heavenly Melody from the South-Oil Painter Liu Chi-hsiang," Taiwan Fine Arts Series 11: Liu Chi Hsiang, Artist Publishing Co. Ltd., 1993, pp. 23)
Senior painter Seiji Togo of "NIKA Association"also contributed recommendation: "Mr. Liu is a native of Tainan County's Liouying Township. He has spent nearly three years studying in Paris. I was very much impressed by some of his works showcased in the "NIKA Association Exhibition" This time I would be able to savor his complete works. His imitation of Manet's "Boy Plays Flute"and "Olympia" created in Palais de Louvre, would be a part of the exhibition. I'm sure that many visitors would be enchanted with his primitive and dazzling skills."(Ibid.)
Kinosuke Ebihara wrote: " . . Mr. Liu returned to Japan two years after I did. I was deeply impressed with the efforts he put in and the progress he has made when I saw his Paris and Italy landscape paintings and his imitation of Manet and Renoir. His skills have improved drastically since the last time we met. I offer my sincere wishes for the success of his exhibitions in Tokyo as well as in his homeland."(Ibid.)
Critics regard Liu as one of the few older-generation painters famous for figure painting. The focus of his studies in France and Japan had been mostly on figure painting, a highly demanding field of art few other artists of his time care to try. Figure painting is a true test of skills, and even the slightest mishap would damage the outcome.
Nudes and imitation of historical masterpieces stand as tough challenges for artists, and Liu certainly did a good job in interpreting the essence of the original. Liu's "Olympia" one of his signature works, appears frequently in his personal exhibitions. An introduction to the painting can be found in his catalogue of works.
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