Working with the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (SYSMH) once
again, the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC) has launched an exhibition titled “Return
Hometown－Meinong Tzeng
Wen-zhong Art Exhibition” that is taking place in Taipei from July 13 to Aug.
7. A collection of watercolor and oil paintings by esteemed Hakka painter Tseng
Wen-chung totaling 47 pieces are now on display.
Like Tseng, HAC Minister Lee Yung-de was also born in Kaohsiung’s
Meinong District. Tseng’s art pieces always bring back colorful images of their
common hometown, including old banyan trees, Bagong temples, and rivers. Tseng
recorded Meinong’s gradual evolution with his paintbrushes, and his paintings present
his passion for Meinong and enlighten people about Hakka and local culture, Lee
added.
Director-General of SYSMH Liang Yung-fei (梁永斐), who is also a Hakka deeply touched by Tseng’s art, contacted Minister Lee with the hope of exhibiting Tseng’s creations at the hall. Through Tseng’s paintings, Liang intends to show the general public the pure beauty of Meinong replete with Hakka characteristics.
As a lifelong art teacher, Tseng remains devoted to art even after his
retirement. Exceling in watercolor and oil paintings, he has created a series
of huge canvas upon which Meinong’s customs, traditions, cultural features,
historic sites, rural life, and natural scenery are vividly portrayed.
Tseng is actively engaged in the art education of local communities,
having established the Meinong Painting Association, a community art center,
and his namesake museum. He also offers art instructions to local residents for
free, funds art competitions, offers student scholarships, cultivates new talent
in arts, and preserves Hakka culture in hope of passing down Meinong’s heritage
for posterity.
For those who are interested in Hakka aesthetics, the exhibition
provides visitors with heartwarming imagery marked by Tseng’s vibrant use of
colors and subtle depictions of his genuine affection for his most beloved hometown
Meinong.
* 曾文忠 has been credited as both “Tseng Wen-chung” and “Tzeng Wen-zhong.”
Date: July 13 to Aug. 7, 2019
Location: Bo-ai Gallery at National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
Address: 505, Sec.4, Ren-ai Rd., Taipei, Taiwan (R.O.C.)