Since 2020, the global art and cultural world has experienced a prolonged winter due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Artists and cultural workers have faced numerous challenges, including the cancellation or postponement of exhibitions and the closure of performance venues, dealing a significant blow to the art industry and cultural exchange. To revitalize Taiwan’s long-dormant art scene and renew international cultural exchanges in the post-pandemic era, many art institutions in Taiwan are eager to take action. This year, upon learning that the Nagano Prefectural Shinano Art Museum in Japan intends to host a joint exhibition featuring the works of father and daughter artists Fu Baoshi and Fu Yiyao, top art companies and curatorial institutions from Europe, America, Japan, and China have expressed keen interest in seizing this rare opportunity for international art exchange. The competition has been fierce, with teams worldwide making every effort to win the opportunity.
Prior to the exhibition in Japan, Ink Sea will host The Fu Baoshi and Fu Yiyao Joint Art Exhibition in Taiwan at the Ink Sea Art Appreciation Museum, offering Taiwanese art enthusiasts a rare glimpse into the artistic lineage of the Fu family. This exhibition will allow visitors to experience firsthand the Fu family legacy without needing to travel to Japan. It will showcase previously unreleased Fu Baoshi masterpieces, providing Taiwanese audiences an exclusive preview of some significant works by Fu Baoshi and Fu Yiyao that will be featured in the Japan exhibition. During the exhibition period, two free lectures on Fu family art will be held. Following the exhibition in Taiwan, the artworks will be transferred to the newly renovated Shinano Art Museum in Nagano, Japan, for an expanded presentation.
However, led by Dr. Ye Guoxin, the Ink Sea International Art Research Institute managed to secure this prestigious collaboration with the Nagano Prefectural Shinano Art Museum. This was achieved thanks to Dr. Ye’s leading status in Chinese art appraisal and Ink Sea’s outstanding achievements in international curation, particularly with Asian ink artists in recent years. As a result, Ink Sea will serve as the primary curatorial institution for the exhibition Across Time and Tradition: The Fu Baoshi and Fu Yiyao Art Exhibition in Japan. This exhibition provides a unique opportunity to promote Taiwan’s curatorial models and cultural heritage abroad, demonstrating Taiwan’s curatorial and cultural creativity to an international audience. It is anticipated that this collaboration will deepen cultural exchanges between Taiwan and Japan, serving as a model for citizen diplomacy.
“Cultivate landscapes within and master the techniques of the ancients” was a lifelong motto of Fu Baoshi and a guiding principle he imparted to future generations. Rather than specific techniques, Fu Baoshi’s influence on Fu Yiyao is more deeply rooted in aesthetic refinement and spiritual cultivation. Fu Baoshi frequently encouraged Fu Yiyao to embody the phrase “strive for self-improvement.” In these four simple words lies his profound aesthetic understanding. “Striving for self-improvement” goes beyond mere diligence; it represents a visual independence that reflects a personal sensitivity to the world, integrating an internal landscape with the techniques of ancient masters. Fu Yiyao’s work reflects her father’s aesthetic ideals, where his artistic philosophy can be seen in every stroke. Ink Sea hopes this Fu Family Legacy will continue to thrive, ensuring the enduring transmission of this artistic heritage.
Fu Baoshi: A Modern Master of Chinese Art
Fu Baoshi was a rare figure in modern Chinese art, recognized as a painter, calligrapher, seal carver, art historian, theorist, and educator. His scholarship in Chinese painting history, including his notable works Outline of the Evolution of Chinese Painting, An Overview of the Origins of Chinese Painting, and A Study of Ancient Chinese Landscape Painting, has made significant contributions to the understanding of Chinese art in Japan and fostered cultural exchange between China and Japan.
Fu Baoshi is also the first modern Chinese ink artist to be honored with a commemorative exhibition at the renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Revered in the global Chinese art market as one of the celebrated “Masters of the Billion,” Fu’s works are highly esteemed in the world of collectors and continue to hold remarkable status.
Fu Baoshi excelled in landscape and figure painting, achieving exceptional levels in both. His landscape art, in particular, reached new heights with his distinctive technique of san feng luan bi (scattered brush and random strokes), known as the “Baoshi texture strokes” (Baoshi cun), which paved the way for modern Chinese landscape painting. His figure paintings, influenced by Gu Kaizhi and Chen Hongshou, uniquely express inner character through facial expressions and eyes. The backgrounds often convey a vivid, modern ambiance, making the overall composition truly extraordinary.
Fu Yiyao: A Master of Monumental Art with Poetic Depth
Fu Yiyao’s primary themes include large-scale temple wall paintings, Japanese folk festivals, poetic imagery, and landscapes. Known for her grand compositions, her works exhibit a powerful, expressive style that blends strength with delicacy, and intensity with restraint, often infused with a Zen-like serenity. Her ability to unite boldness and meticulousness has established her as an outstanding artist. Many of her works are housed in prestigious locations such as the Japanese Imperial household, shrines, and sacred temples, including UNESCO World Heritage sites like the Enryaku-ji National Treasure Hall on Mount Hiei, Sanjusangen-do in Kyoto, Sanzen-in in Ohara, Enman-ji in Yokohama, and Ryudou-in Temple in Nagano. Her representative works include The Eastern Spread of Buddhism, Mount Hiei Enryaku-ji, Guoqing Temple of Mount Tiantai, Four Seasons at Sanzen-in, and Onbashira Festival of Suwa Shrine.
Beyond her distinctive artistic talent, Fu Yiyao is known for her striking beauty, often described as having the spirit of a “mountain nymph,” combined with an inner strength and the refined character of a scholar. Immersed in the rich literary tradition of China, she has cultivated her deep knowledge through decades of dedication to classical poetry, as well as Eastern and Western aesthetic theories, which have become the foundation of her extensive scholarship. Following the path her father, Fu Baoshi, set for her, she has continued to explore Chinese poetic culture, nurturing an independent artistic spirit as a literati painter. Despite her success, Fu Yiyao remains modest, often eschewing fame and material gain. She has even donated priceless items from her father’s legacy—paintings, manuscripts, and seals—to national museums, with an estimated value exceeding NT$10 billion, reflecting her selfless dedication to cultural heritage.
