Exhibit spotlights paintings by disabled artists

2015/11/23

An exhibition of mouth-and-foot paintings is underway in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu County, showcasing decades of endeavors by physically challenged artists and their resilience in the face of challenges.

Staged at the Art Museum of the Hsinchu County Cultural Affairs Bureau, the 19-day event features 56 pieces by 26 painters. The results of their efforts underscore the value of creative pursuits in extending life experiences beyond physical limits.

“Every artist has poignant memories of overcoming their difficulties,” a CAB official said. “Some of them have congenital diseases, while others were disabled in accidents, but they all made their way through and started shining in the artistic field.”

Highlighted artists in the exhibition include Hsieh Kun-shan, an internationally renowned mouth painter who specializes in oil paintings of animals, landscapes and still lifes. He lost both hands and his lower right leg during an industrial accident in 1974 at age 16, and has been a full member of the Liechtenstein-based Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists of the World since 1992.

Another well-known talent is Chen Shih-feng, who conjures serene and peaceful images in his mouth-painted pieces. Chen lost his upper limbs in a high-voltage power accident in 1982 at age 14. With hope in his heart, the artist started painting in 1986, and said he plans to experience scuba diving in the near future.

Equally worth mentioning is Grace Yang, a left-foot painter famous for her landscape and bird-and-flower artworks. Born in 1974 with no arms and uneven legs, Yang was abandoned by her parents at a market and raised in an orphanage. She was named the most outstanding young person in the field of culture and the arts by Junior Chamber International Taiwan in 2007.

Another impressive participant is Yang Shu-yi, a right-foot painter whose ink painting featuring peacocks is on display at the event. With cerebral palsy caused by jaundice at birth, Yang began studying art at age 11 and won the Golden Eagle Award from the Ministry of the Interior in 2003.

Other artists taking part in the exhibition, which runs through Dec. 6, include mouth painters Chou Yu-cheng and Lo Sheng-lung, and foot-painting artists Chen Mei-hui and Liao Rui-jin.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=239184&ctNode=2194&mp=9)