Winter 2006
 
 

CONTENTS

 
  BOTTLE 瓶
   By Yin Dih 隱地
   Translated by John J. S. BALCOM 陶忘機
 
  CHAIR 椅子
   By CHANG Shiang Hua 張香華
   Translated by John J. S. BALCOM 陶忘機
 
  THE COMING INTO BEING OF THIS EXISTENCE
這一生的發生

   By CHEN I-chih 陳義芝
   Translated by Chris Wen-Chao LI 李文肇
 
  A THOUSAND LAYERS OF WHITE 白千層
   By CHU An-ming 初安民
   Translated by John J. S. BALCOM 陶忘機
 
  LATE-BLOOMING OSMANTHUS 遲開的桂花
   By WU Chin-fa 吳錦發
   Translated by David and Ellen DETERDING
   戴德巍與陳艷玲
 
  BUTTERFLIES SCREAM, CUT OFF THE EAR
蝴蝶尖叫,割下耳朵

   By CHENG Ying-shu 成英姝
   Translated by Patrick CARR 柯英華
 
  ONE HECK OF A PASSAGE 「一」關難渡
   By Pan Jen-mu 潘人木
   Translated by YU Yu-san 余幼珊
 
  SISTER SUNNY 晴姊
   By D. J. LIU 劉大任
   Translated by Danny H. LIN 林心嶽
 
  LI CHIAPAO 李家寶
   By CHU Tien-hsin 朱天心
   Translated by Shou-Fang HU-MOORE 胡守芳
 
  FACE, BODY AND MIND—
THE SCULPTURES OF CHEN CHENGHSIUNG
面相、身相與心相的刻鏤—陳正雄的雕刻藝術
   By SHIH Jui-jen 石瑞仁
   Translated by David van der Peet 范德培
 
  NEWS & EVENTS 文化活動
   Compiled by Sarah Jen-hui HSIANG 項人慧
 
  NEW BOOKS BY OUR MEMBERS 會員新書
 
  NOTES ON AUTHORS AND TRANSLATORS 作者與譯者簡介 APPENDIX: CHINESE ORIGINALS 附錄:中文原著
 
  JOYOUS ARHAT 開喜羅漢, stout camphor wood,
68 × 85 × 50 cm, 2002...............COVER
 
  LOOKING HOMEWARD 望鄉, stout camphor wood,
68 × 42 × 38 cm, 2004...........................BACK COVER
   By CHEN Cheng-hsiung 陳正雄

 


SHIH Jui-jen 石瑞仁

FACE, BODY AND MIND —
THE SCULPTURES OF CHEN CHENGHSIUNG
面相、身相與心相的刻鏤—陳正雄的雕刻藝術*

Translated by David van der Peet 范德培

   Born in Tainan in 1942, Chen Cheng-hsiung moved to Peikang when he was fourteen to learn the craft of woodcarving. He finished his apprenticeship at seventeen and, now a qualified professional, spent the next six years studying under a master from Mainland China. They would travel from place to place and practice their art doing woodcarvings for the local temples. When his teacher and colleagues agreed that his skills and artistic expression had reached a considerable level of maturity, he returned to his hometown Tainan to begin his career as a maker of religious statues. In his free time, he also tried his hand at realistic depictions of people in the “real world.” Encouraged by his friends, he submitted some of his creative work, originally made only for his own entertainment, to an exhibition held by the Tainan Fine Arts Association. Against all expectations, his work garnered the support and appreciation of senior experts and critics such as Kuo Po-chuan. This gave Chen the courage and determination to further hone his skills and focus his attention on a purely creative career. In the years that followed, he would participate in a series of exhibitions, including the ones sponsored by the Tainan Fine Arts Association, and also the Taiwan Provincial Art Exhibition and the Sinkouzou Exhibition in Japan. His artistic achievements did not go unacknowledged: every year between 1977 and 1979, Chen was awarded a first prize by the Tainan Fine Arts Association.

 
Joy 歡喜
stout camphor wood
69×38 ×35cm, 2006

In 1983 he won the Wu Sanlian Award, followed in 1984 by a Great Effort award at the Sinkouzou Exhibition. In 1989, the National Art Gallery at the Museum of History even organized a solo exhibition of his work. Although his formal education did not go beyond elementary school, Chen relied on his talent and tireless effort to surpass his senior counterparts in academe and made his way into the artistic Hall of Fame. His peculiar background makes the thorough exploration of his artwork, its strengths and unique characteristics, even more interesting and rewarding.

 
Harmony of Moon Guitar 琴韻
camphor wood
108×80 ×57cm, 2006

Shedding the Shackles of Tradition and Developing His Own Style
   My first encounter with Chen’s work was his 1989 Folk Music in Temple Setting series (now part of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum’s permanent collection). It was a....


From Tien-tsang chin-yi-shu《 典藏今藝術 》( Art Today ), Vol. 96, September,2000.


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