Text / Hsi-Chiang Wu

"Still Life with Flowers" (1953) is a rare example of Liao Chi-chun's work from the 1950s that demonstrates one of the artist's meticulous painting techniques. This classic piece also reveals an impressionist influence.

In his book discussing western painting styles in Taiwan during the Japanese Occupation, "The Development of Modern Art in Taiwan", critic Shih Tsui-feng writes that Liao's works of the 1940s tended to favor realism with an impressionist influence. Shih characterizes Liao as part of the "plein-air" school, which drew inspiration from the impressionists' use of natural light as a technique of expression. But a closer look at Liao's work from the 1940s until the early 50s reveals that he actually produced very few genuine impressionist works, of which "Still Life with Flowers" is one such example. In the painting, Liao uses fragmented, yet fine, flowing strokes, richly capturing an occurring instance of natural light. This painting precedes Liao's later explorations with light and transforming shapes.

Liao's other still life paintings from the 40s to the early 50s include "Lily" (1948), and "Cuckoo Flower" (1953) - two works that explore form with an emphasis on light and shade. The two paintings are characterized by Liao's heavy strokes and bold hues and little brightness and color. In comparison to "Still Life with Flowers", the two paintings show a shift in Liao's technique: the influence of natural light is more pronounced and has altered his creative approach - characteristics which allow a further appreciation of his later work. Liao utilizes the natural light of the room and the brightness imparts a cheerful mood, and once again he uses fragmented, flowing strokes, which convey a striking sense of air. Through the interplay of light, form, color, strokes, and lines, Liao forms a rhythmic sense that becomes the central focus of later work in the same vein.

In these paintings, we can see the significance of the various stages of Liao's development as a painter. As precursors to "Windowsill" (1960) and "Still Life" (1961), these works demonstrate how Liao's technique has matured with time - we clearly see that Liao has reached a pinnacle of expression with a now-unfettered approach to light, form, color, strokes, and lines. At this point, Liao has also mastered a sense of rhythm intrinsic to his depiction of objects. These paintings, in the context of the artist's creative development, provide a glimpse of the formation of Liao Chi-chun's creative ingenuity and allow us to enjoy his transformation of indoor settings through natural light.