“Mo Hai Chun Qiu—Collection and Connoisseurship Research into Chinese Painting and Calligraphy” | Lifestyle | Economic Daily News
By Zhou Shujing, U Media Reporter, Taipei
Amid the bustling hub of a prime location, directly across from the lively Breeze Center, stands an unassuming office-like building. Upon entering its black doors, visitors are greeted by masterpieces from legendary artists such as Zhang Daqian and others—a feast for the eyes. The owner of this remarkable collection is none other than Dr. Ye Guo-Shin, a leading authority on art authentication in the Chinese-speaking world.
Dr. Ye has named this hidden gem of an exhibition space “Mo Hai Lou.” He is also the first in the Chinese-speaking world to earn a doctorate in art authentication from the UK. Among his many notable achievements, Dr. Ye successfully authenticated lost manuscripts by Hu Shi and original works by great masters such as Fu Baoshi and Zhang Daqian.
Dr. Ye graduated from the National Taiwan Normal University’s Graduate Institute of Fine Arts. After earning his master’s degree, he was drawn into the world of antiques due to his family’s background as collectors. Initially, he pieced together his knowledge of art through personal exploration, as there was a lack of comprehensive and systematic information in the market. His passion for art drove him across the Atlantic to complete a doctorate in the UK. There, he apprenticed under Dr. Wang Tao, the current Head of the Asian Art Department at the Art Institute of Chicago and Vice President of Sotheby’s New York. Under Dr. Wang Tao’s mentorship, Dr. Ye mastered the art of “observing energy flow,” a technique professionals use to sense the natural rhythm within a painting.
Author Dr. Ye Guo-Shin (center) and forensic expert Dr. Henry C. Lee (right), along with Dr. Wang Tao, Director of the Asian Art Department at the Art Institute of Chicago, collectively experience the process of painting and calligraphy authentication. | Provided by the organizer.
Dr. Ye Guo-Shin, a renowned expert in painting and calligraphy authentication, is the first Chinese scholar to obtain a doctorate in art authentication from the UK. He has served as a lecturer for various public institutions, such as the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s Forensics Division, and has authenticated works for collectors and auction houses worldwide. Bridging academia and industry, Dr. Ye wears many hats—artist, authenticator, auctioneer—and acts as a consultant for several global auction houses specializing in painting and calligraphy.
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[Taipei News] Mo Hai Chun Qiu—Collection and Connoisseurship Research into Chinese Painting and Calligraphy spans 720,000 words. Dr. Ye Guo-Shin spent over a decade visiting renowned museums worldwide, gathering first-hand materials on paintings and calligraphy. He personally interviewed artists, their disciples, and family members to obtain invaluable information. The book introduces the “Painting/Calligraphy Authenticity Assessment Framework,” a methodology grounded in Western art techniques, to provide a logical and scientific approach to what is often considered an enigmatic field.
The book launch was recently held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Esteemed guests, including forensic expert Dr. Henry Lee and Macro Group Chairman Wang Wen-Yang, joined Dr. Ye in experiencing the process of art authentication. The event also featured an auction of The Ink Sea Chronicles, with the highest bidder receiving a personalized inscription by Fu Yiyao, a celebrated painter based in Japan.
Mo Hai Chun Qiu is Taiwan’s first comprehensive academic, systematic, and logical treatise on the authentication of ancient and modern Chinese painting and calligraphy. It features nearly 2,000 images from museums worldwide, printed to the highest standards of fidelity to the original works. Advanced anti-counterfeiting technology was employed to prevent piracy, and the book was designed for long-term preservation using special anti-moisture and anti-pest materials for its cover.
Under the witness of author Dr. Ye Guo-Shin (right), Dr. Winston Wong (center), Chairman of Hongren Group, receives a personal inscription and nomination from Japanese-based painter Fu Yiyao (left). | Provided by the organizer.
