ARTouch.com Magazine, October 2017 Special Edition: Yao Qing Ji Yuan — Prominent Expatriate Artist in Japan, Daughter of Master Fu Baoshi, Fu Yiyao’s First-ever Solo Exhibition in Taiwan
Origin
The official connection between Ms. Fu Yiyao and Taiwan began when she met Dr. Ye Guo-Shin in the UK. At the time, Dr. Ye, who was pursuing his PhD in the UK, was asked by his professor, Wang Tao (a world-renowned scholar, and current director of the Asian Art Museum at the Art Institute of Chicago), to accompany an elder as a local guide. Both Dr. Ye and the elder shared unique insights into Chinese ink painting, and they quickly became close friends. When Dr. Ye was asked about his favorite artists, he enthusiastically spoke about Fu Baoshi’s unique artistic style, techniques, and tools. The elder couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know the Fu family?” Given his deep knowledge of details that most people wouldn’t know, Dr. Ye discovered that the elder was none other than Fu Baoshi’s daughter, Fu Yiyao. To this day, Ms. Fu remembers Dr. Ye’s sincere dedication to researching Fu Baoshi’s art. “I’ve never met anyone who can study something so thoroughly like he does. In today’s society, many fake works exist, and I’ve often despaired, worrying that no one would know the value of true art. But Dr. Ye gave me a strong signal that distinguishing between truth and falsehood, between good and bad, seemed to be his mission. He would ask me about the paper my father used in different periods. Every detail was treated like a treasure. I feel very fortunate to meet a researcher like him.” Dr. Ye also admired Ms. Fu’s noble character and her selfless support for younger generations, which led to the first art exhibition of Fu Yiyao in Taiwan.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan Collects Fu Yiyao’s Painting “Dharma Crossing the River on a Reed”
Art Maestro’s Daughter, with the Aura of a Master – Fu Yiyao
Ms. Fu Yiyao was the beloved daughter of modern Chinese painting master Fu Baoshi. From a young age, she interacted closely with renowned figures in the Chinese art and cultural scene, such as Zhang Daqian, Guo Moruo, Lin Sanzhi, and Lin Fengmian. In 1979, she went to Japan to study, where she was mentored by renowned masters such as Hirayama Ikuo, Shioyasu Eiyu, and Aoyama Sanyu, gaining high standing in Japan’s art world. Her works gained international recognition and were exhibited at the United Nations. She was awarded Japan’s highest art prize, the “Ringa Art Encouragement Award,” making her the only Chinese artist to receive such an honour. She was also invited to appear on important Japanese NHK television programs such as “National Treasure Selections” and “Sunday Art Museum,” where her work “The Eastern Path of Ancestral Teachings” was specially documented, creating record-high viewer ratings. Mrs. Fu has published several books, including I Have Good Teachers, My Father Fu Baoshi, My Years in Japan, The Art Collection of Fu Yiyao, The Twelve Festivals of Five Colors, and The Ink Works of Fu Yiyao.
Fu Baoshi’s works are highly sought after, with his authentic paintings fetching prices over 20 million NTD per square foot in today’s market. Fu Yiyao’s brushwork truly embodies the essence of the Fu family’s artistry, and some of her works are so closely imitative of her father’s that they are nearly indistinguishable. Guo Moruo even praised her, saying, “Her landscapes are almost identical to her father’s.” On one occasion, an art dealer expressed interest in purchasing her works at a high price, with the intention of passing them off as Fu Baoshi’s, but Ms. Fu firmly rejected the offer. “I truly love my father’s art. Some believe that money can buy anything, but I believe that money can’t buy art.” After Fu Baoshi passed away, Fu Yiyao donated all of her father’s paintings, manuscripts, seals, and other important artifacts to the Nanjing Museum and other national museums. The total value of these donated pieces exceeds 10 billion NTD. Mrs. Fu believes that this is the true preservation of Fu Baoshi’s artistic legacy.
Staying true to her family’s tradition, Ms. Fu Yiyao has lived a life of modesty, quietly cultivating her artistic practice, mostly creating works in Japan’s national treasure-level temples and important museums. “I’m happy to paint for temples, shrines, public institutions, and national museums because these places cherish art. They allow viewers to appreciate my work more purely, and the value returned to me is priceless. This is the driving force that keeps me creating with a peaceful and joyful heart.” Because of her noble character and dedication to art, the Japanese royal family holds her in high regard. Not only are her works housed in notable locations such as the emperor’s temple at the Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto and the Sanjusangendo Temple, but the late Professor Hirayama Ikuo of Tokyo University of the Arts also stated, “Fu Yiyao embodies the spirit of her father. She has skillfully combined traditional Chinese ink techniques with Japanese painting techniques, freeing herself from traditional constraints and creating her independent works. This has earned her high praise in Japan.” In 2015, her large landscape scroll Duanwu Praise (180cm by 1395cm) was added to the collection of the China Academy of Art’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center.
Yao Qing Ji Yuan – Taiwan’s First Major Art Exhibition
Due to Ms. Fu’s unwavering dedication to the purity of her art, her works have rarely circulated in the market. Apart from being displayed in renowned museums and ancient temples, they are difficult to see unless specifically sought out. This exhibition in Taiwan, at the invitation of Dr. Ye, presents a broad collection of Ms. Fu’s classic works, including paintings, calligraphy, and porcelain, showcasing highlights from each phase of her artistic journey. Visitors can experience her rare masterpieces without traveling to Japan. Whether it’s the life-infused works that inherit her father’s legacy, her vivid imitations of his brushwork, the grand “Tiantai Mountain Guoqing Temple,” the strikingly vibrant “Tokushima Awa Odori Festival,” or her poetic ink paintings that convey Zen, or her porcelain works depicting the universe in miniature, all can be seen in this exhibition. Among the porcelain pieces on display, the celadon works were crafted specifically for her by the renowned Longquan celadon master and recipient of the “Lifetime Achievement Award in Chinese Arts and Crafts,” Master Xia Houwen, while the blue-and-white porcelain was created by the internationally acclaimed Jingdezhen master Huang Yunpeng, highlighting Fu Yiyao’s exquisite porcelain painting techniques.
Her rain and snow scenes, which evolved from her father’s artistic legacy, are particularly noteworthy. Fu Baoshi’s rain paintings typically employ semi-automatic techniques to create layered white rain streaks. Fu Yiyao, who mastered this technique, brings her rain scenes to life with exquisite detail, making viewers feel immersed in the scene. Her snow scenes, derived from her rain works, are particularly unique. Rejecting the traditional powdered technique used in snow paintings, she relies on the contrast between negative space and ink to depict snow, with the splashed alum technique creating varying layers and movements of falling snow, making them highly original. In her art, Central Academy of Fine Arts professor Shao Dazhen commented, “Fu Yiyao’s works represent a ‘distinct style’ in Chinese ink painting today. Few artists use this method or depict such subjects. The greatest similarity between Fu Baoshi and his daughter is their fearless creativity and courage to break from convention.” As a female artist, Ms. Fu uses delicate, graceful strokes to express the grand air and depth within her works, showcasing the beauty and elegance of her life’s experiences and insights.
The title of this exhibition, Yao Qing Ji Yuan, encompasses time, space, and a higher spiritual level. It refers to the vast landscapes captured on paper through Fu Yiyao’s incredible artistic journey, as well as her continued dedication to her father’s legacy and her hope for the future of her art. The exhibition also symbolizes the remarkable convergence of global visitors united by art. Several notable guests, including representatives from Japanese NHK, the Japan Tourism Association, the Japanese royal family, directors of major museums such as the Art Institute of Chicago, and art collectors from all over the world, will attend this exhibition, underscoring Ms. Fu’s unique and esteemed position in the art world.
“Crying for Chao Qingheng” Fu Yiyao’s rain-themed paintings are unrestrained and ever-changing, depicting dramatic scenes of tumultuous waves during a storm.
“Clouds Over the Qinling Mountains” Fu Yiyao’s snow scenes never use powder to depict snow.
Humanistic Spirit and the Fusion of Light and Moon – Curator Dr. Ye Guo-Shin
The curator of this exhibition, Dr. Ye Guo-Shin, is currently an adjunct assistant professor at the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University. He was the first Chinese person to receive a PhD in art authentication from the UK and has introduced Taiwan’s largest art scholarship—the Prince Charles Foundation Scholarship. He founded the Mo Hai Lou International Art Research Institute, renowned for its expertise in art authentication. Driven by a deep commitment to truth, goodness, and beauty in art, Dr. Ye volunteered to organize this exhibition. Mrs. Fu’s trust in Dr. Ye’s professionalism is evident from her donation of rare works and valuable materials for his research. Dr. Ye is also set to publish a monumental work titled Mo Hai Chun Qiu—Collection and Connoisseurship Research into Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, which is Taiwan’s first academic, systematic, and practical work on the subject. This book will include valuable first-hand research gathered from museums, artists, and their families worldwide, and aims to widely disseminate knowledge on art authentication.
This exhibition represents the perfect fusion of emotion and reason, of artist and scholar, of heritage and innovation, providing a rare cultural feast for art lovers to witness.
(ARTouch.com, October Issue/2017, Vol. 301)
