







After the classical topics and style embodied by his well-known Self-portrait Series and Series on the Republic of China, Chen Cheng-Wei now presents another aspect of his life with a more expressive approach of modern painting, and brings the series – Blossoms of Life. In this series, the artist moves away from realistically objective delineation, and instead embraces a more subjective formulation of images. Having assimilated Impressionist colors and lines, he continues the essence of modern painting, while incorporating elements extracted from Eastern arts into the series, including mural, religious art, tangka, and the Chinese constellations. The inspiration of this series comes from the artist’s beloved mother. When visiting his mother, the artist noticed the flowers and potted plants at his mother’s place, and his eyes were suddenly opened to the colorful flowers in their various forms, which are reminiscent of human beings growing from eggs and embryos, as well as the release of accumulated cosmic energy. The artist consequently transforms the loving memory of his mother into the magical power visualized by the blooming flowers celebrating flourishing life in Blossoms of Life.
This solo exhibition, titled Blossoms of Life – The Seasons, by Chen Cheng-Wei adopts the Chinese classical tradition of “joint screens,” and portrays the natural beauty of the twenty-four solar terms, utilizing nuanced changes and gentle colors to coagulate time in the order of the works. The Seasons continues the expressive dotty brushstrokes characteristic of the Blossoms of Life series. The elaborate and tender curved lines are suggestive of Impressionist techniques and the lyrical expression of the Chinese literati painting. The artist’s use of the different techniques, such as wiping, rubbing, thinly applying of color, and layering, enables the characteristic charm of the visually strong medium to convey profound feelings and emotions. Ni Zan (1306-1374), one of the “Four Great Masters of Yuan Dynasty,” stated that “what I call painting is nothing more than delineations comprising freewheeling brushstrokes, which is simply for self-entertainment instead of pursing form.” This passage seems to express the emotion-infused aesthetic quality embodied by his relaxing and unforced depiction. Each painting in the Blossoms of Life series is an imprint of the artist’s contemplation and energy, which brings together nature and culture to speak about the metaphorical union between heaven and humankind.