Exclusive Interview: The Philosopher Living in an Artistic Sanctuary – Ye Guo-Shin
Reporter Zhou Shu-Jing for YOUmedia, Taipei
Amid the bustling streets and endless crowds of a prime district, a building that looks like a typical corporate office stands opposite the lively Breeze Center. Behind its black doors, however, lies an artistic haven filled with masterpieces by renowned artists, including Zhang Daqian. The owner of this treasure trove is none other than Ye Guo-Shin, a leading figure in the field of Chinese art authentication.
Ye named this unique gallery Mo Hai Lou. He is also the first person in the Chinese-speaking world to earn a doctorate in art authentication from the UK. Ye has successfully authenticated several significant works, such as Hu Shi’s long-lost manuscripts and authentic pieces by famed artists Fu Baoshi and Zhang Daqian.
A graduate of National Taiwan Normal University’s Fine Arts Research Institute, Ye initially pursued a master’s degree. With a family background steeped in art collecting, he stumbled into the world of antiques by chance. Much of the knowledge he acquired during this time came through personal exploration, as there was a lack of comprehensive and systematic resources in the field. Fueled by his passion for art, he traveled to the UK to pursue a doctorate, studying under Wang Tao, the current Director of the Asian Art Department at the Art Institute of Chicago and Vice President of Sotheby’s New York. Under Wang’s guidance, Ye learned the skill of “observing qi,” a term experts use to describe the ability to sense natural energy flows in a painting.
墨海樓。（圖／周書靜攝）
Another of Ye’s mentors is the renowned forensic expert Dr. Henry C. Lee, who inspired him to integrate technology into the art world, teaching him how to use scientific instruments for authentication. The mentorship of these two esteemed figures laid the foundation for Ye’s deep expertise and began his lifelong journey of learning. His innate sensitivity to beauty, like a natural gift, endowed him with a strong sense of purpose in the field of art.
While writing his doctoral dissertation, Ye was struck by the difficulties and gaps in available research. This realization inspired him to write books and commit himself to advancing art authentication. Building upon his dissertation, he delved deeper to create a comprehensive work on ancient and modern Chinese painting authentication. Ye developed a “Painting/Calligraphy Authenticity Evaluation Chart” based on Western art methodologies, redefining authentication science and leaving a legacy for future generations of scholars.
Over more than a decade, Ye traveled to museums and galleries around the world, gathering firsthand materials, interviewing artists, their disciples, and family members, and acquiring invaluable data. He compiled a collection of over 2,000 images from global museums, printed to the highest standards to mimic the original artworks. To prevent counterfeiting, Ye implemented anti-fraud measures and completed Taiwan’s first scholarly, systematic, and market-focused book on painting and calligraphy authentication: Mo Hai Chun Qiu—Collection and Connoisseurship Research into Chinese Painting and Calligraphy. This monumental work, which took over ten years to produce, has been hailed as an “artist’s bible.”
“You’ve probably heard the Taiwanese saying: ‘An artist sleeps on the floor.’” Ye shared how his family initially opposed his career choice, considering art authentication an obscure and non-mainstream profession. However, Dr. Winston Wong Jr extended his support, for which Ye remains deeply grateful, and the two have since become close friends.
鑑定畫作。（圖／周書靜攝）
