From September 16th to October 15th, 2012, "Returns: Cheng Huo-Yi's Oil Paintings in the Collection of Cultural Affairs Bureau of Penghu County Government" will be held in the Special Exhibition Room of Cultural Affairs Bureau.
Born in Chikan Village, Baisha Township, Penghu County, artist Cheng Huo-Yi (1902-1999) was not only a former artist, but also a witness to the history of art in Southern Taiwan. When Cheng returned to Penghu in his later years, he felt the rapid changes in his hometown and painted 12 pieces of "The Beauty of Penghu Countryside" series of works for the descendants to explore the early appearance of Penghu and presented them to the permanent collection of Penghu County Cultural Center (now the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Penghu County Government). In this year, the Cultural Affairs Bureau has commissioned Peng Xue-fang, a conservator, to carry out the restoration of Cheng's paintings and the work will be demonstrated at the archive site and the exhibition, so as to allow the public to know about the work in a close distance.
In order to retrieve more of Cheng 's life in Penghu, the Cultural Affairs Bureau held the "Rooting Community Art and Culture - Cheng's Art History" seminar at the Chikan Community Center on September 7, inviting former Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts Research Assistant Editor, Tsai Chen-yen to share with the public Cheng 's long history and artistic accomplishments based on her own research experience. The event attracted more than 70 elders and young people to the scene, who came together to learn about the artist and his life in Taiwan's history.
Born in 1902, Cheng was enrolled in Baisha Island Elementary School (now Chikan Elementary School) in 1911, and after graduation, he was admitted to the Taiwan Governor-General's National Language School (now National Taipei University of Education) in 1918, which was reported in the newspaper as one of only three students from the Hōko Pretecture (now Penghu County) who had been admitted to the school at the time. Cheng's first contact with art courses during his school years, learning basic sketching, composition, color, geometry and other technical concepts, the seeds of art sprouted in his heart. Under the influence of the art culture of the College, Cheng and his classmates Li Mei-shu, Liao Chi-chun, and Kuo Po-chuan, who were in the same class, started the "Self-Study Room Painting Exhibition" on their own. Cheng's artistic talent was evident during his studies, and his ability to create art was well recognized by the art education community, with all of his fellow students going on to become outstanding artists in Taiwan.
After graduating in 1922, Cheng began his career as an art teacher. The year after graduation, he was appointed to the Rinen Elementary School in Hōzan district of Takao Pretecture (now Linyuan Elementary School in Kaohsiung). At that time, Takao (now Kaohsiung) lacked professional art educators, so Cheng could be considered a pioneer of art education in Southern Taiwan. In 1928, he co-founded Kaohsiung's first art association, the White Day Association, with then Takao Middle School (now Kaohsiung Senior High School) teacher Yamada Shinkichi, and organized art exhibitions to connect and encourage art lovers, actively promoting the beauty of art and culture. After the World War II, Cheng was the principal of Sanmin Elementary School, and after resigning, he set up the Xinmin Bookstore and resumed painting. Since then, he has worked diligently on his artwork and has accumulated many works, promoting the art style in Southern Taiwan and bringing up many young people.
Schools of all levels are welcome to apply for group tours from October 1 to October 15 (free of charge, with a limit of 30 people per tour), which will be arranged by the conservator Peng Xue-fang and the professional guide; for related information, please contact Mr. Chien of the Cultural Affairs Bureau's Performing Arts Division (06-9261141 ext. 231). The Cultural Affairs Bureau's Special Exhibition Room is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closed on national holidays.