ILLUSTRATED:

For some people painting is a hobby, a form of recreation or even a social activity. I however make my living by painting. "Making a living by painting" doe s not s impl y mean that I am a professional artist who paints to earn my keep financially. Even more importantly it describes how painting is what gives me the energy to survive on a spiritual level and what gives shape to my life's hopes.

This is in a sense like how the Chinese people use the "Dragon" as the totem for their race and consider themselves the "Heirs of the Dragon". In my youth my passion drove me to constantly and consciously re-interpret the story of "Sintian" (mythical character in Sanhaijin) through painting, installations, plays and woodblocks. I identified with Sintian and through Sintian acquired an effective method of expressing resistance to authority. Sintian thus came to represent the rebelliousness of my youth.

I began painting plants after I entered middle age, focusing on the design of plants that combine with the body. This represented my desire to become rooted in the ground and watch over my family. This was the inspiration for my Home Plants and First Year of the Misia Era series of artworks.

To me, artworks like Sintian and The First Year of the Mi-shia Era was where I created my "Life Image". The imagery not only reflected the state of my life at the time but also provided a strong hint of my inner desires. I now long to become a tree that can shelter other people - to become a giver and carer - so I continue to paint trees so the motif of the tree becomes a part of my life. Ultimately, I hope the motif of my art will fuse with my life so I become the motif that I paint .

This sounds like I am talking about a kind of voodoo magic rather than art.

Yes hat's exactly what it is. Art is rather like voodoo magic in terms of its "summoning" effect. It can control the weather, convert energies, give blessings and inflict hexes as well as cure injuries and illnesses. It can also combine and bring together individuals and all Mankind.

For each of the different phases in my life, I am using the magic within art to enrich my life.
(Extract from the artist's statement on creativity published at www.artcenter.fcu.edu.tw )