Hsiao Chin (蕭勤), one of the founders of an important contemporary art group Eastern Painting Society (東方畫會) and a pioneer of modern abstract art, passed away on June 30 at the age of 90. In recognition of Hsiao’s significant contributions to the development of art and art education in Taiwan, Vice Minister of Culture Lee Lien-chuan (李連權) presented a posthumous presidential citation to his wife Monika Unterberger at the memorial service on July 8.
Born in 1935 in Shanghai, China, Hsiao relocated to Taiwan with his family in 1949 and found his interest in contemporary art after he joined the studio of Li Chun-shan (李仲生) in 1955. With his studio mates, Hsiao co-founded the Eastern Painting Society in 1955 and actively organized exhibitions to showcase Eastern paintings. The eight founders of the art group were well-known for exploring a variety of art styles that broke away from what was considered conventional.
Many of Hsiao’s works are housed in major art museums at home and abroad and have been exhibited at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts as well as exhibitions around the world.
In 1996, Hsiao was invited by the Tainan National College of the Arts (now Tainan National University of the Arts, TNNUA) to teach at the Graduate Institute of Plastic Arts. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the TNNUA for his significant contributions to contemporary art education and was the recipient of the National Award for Arts, the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon, and the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity.
Vice Minister Lee commended the tireless artist, who regarded creating art as a journey to fulfill his life purpose, for his dedication to the art community for over six decades and for leading the avant-garde trend of modern art in Taiwan. Hsiao is an important pioneer of the modernization of Taiwanese contemporary art, Lee added.
