Sending Blessings to the Vatican:

Artists throughout history and around the world have long subscribed to the belief that images possess a mysterious power. Hsieh Sheng-min, print artist and professor in the Department of Digital Media Design/Visual Communication Design at Asia University, is no exception, and viewing his works often evokes profound and mysterious associations.

Integrating and inspiring

As a Catholic, Hsieh Sheng-min effortlessly draws on various Christian elements, while seamlessly incorporating traditional Taiwanese beliefs, folk tales, indigenous motifs, and esoteric symbols into his works.

Hsieh’s best-known work, Health and Peace, won first prize at the 19th ROC New Year Prints Exhibition in 2004. It features the mythological deity Zhong Kui wearing a surgical mask while holding a ghost-­slaying Chinese sword in his right hand, and the magical Staff of Moses from the Book of Exodus in his left. This work transcends borders and ethnicities, allowing each viewer to interpret it within their own cultural context. Health and Peace was much admired by former Vice President Chen Chien-jen, also a devout Catholic, who hung it in his office, and the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control used the design for a New Year’s card, which they sent to the World Health Organization.

This ability to reconcile and integrate Eastern and Western cultures is a gift, but also the result of the environment in which he grew up. Hsieh says that as a child, he moved around a lot because of his father’s job. The family finally settled in Beigang, Yunlin County, and although they were Catholics, they lived next to the Chao­tian Temple, dedicated to the folk deity Mazu.

Although this inevitably made Hsieh feel a bit like an alien and heretic, it also fostered his ability to move freely between Eastern and Western cultures, blending seamlessly into either environment. He often sang Gregorian chants in Latin beneath the stained-glass windows of a church in the morning, but found himself in a temple surrounded by exquisite dragon pillars, cut-and-paste ceramics, Koji pottery, and the clamor of Beiguan Opera in the afternoon.

This background helped Hsieh understand the biblical narratives conveyed by church artworks, appreciate the cultural symbolism of temple art, and become well versed in figures and narratives from folk religion and history. It also enabled him to view both cultures from a broader perspective, fostering a sense of mission and a personal resolve to serve as a medi­ator and bridge-builder between them.

In 2021, Hsieh’s unique interfaith, multi-ethnic, cross-cultural works also led to his election as an academician at the Taiwan Academy of Fine Arts.

Eight Messengers of the True Gospel (a.k.a. The Eight Beatitudes), 1995.

Hsieh’s most famous work, Health and Peace, combines the biblical story of Exodus with traditional door god images, and won first prize at the ROC New Year Prints Exhibition in 2004. (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)

Hsieh likes to create postcards using scenery he encounters during his travels. (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)

Popular images and stories

Narrative and storytelling play a prominent role in Hsieh Sheng-min’s prints. His Health and Peace, created in response to the SARS epidemic, reminded the public to eat a balanced diet, wash their hands frequently, get enough rest, and take plenty of exercise.

The print entitled Go Taiwan! created following the 921 Earthquake in 1999, depicts the optimism of people from all walks of life working together for a common goal. Adapting a famous line from the song “Taiwan Soul” by renowned composer Tyzen Hsiao, the print’s inscription reads: “Sweet potatoes take root with new hope. Spring brings flourishing leaves and branches through generations,” reaffirming the image of a robust recovery.

Hsieh’s Eight Messengers of the True Gospel combines the traditional Chinese legend of the Eight Immortals with a quotation from Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew listing the eight types of people who are blessed by God and can enter the kingdom of heaven: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”

While these are individual works of art, they also resemble posters or advertisements. Combining the sacred and the secular, they can be understood by one and all. And given the nature of printmaking, they can be reproduced in large quantities. “Prints are very democratic, and since anyone can own them, they are easier to promote,” Hsieh says.

Having produced many wall posters as a schoolboy may have influenced Hsieh’s creative orientation, but more relevant is his theory that literature should be a vehicle for truth. “Art should leave behind a record of its era,” he says, so his work is always in tune with the times.

Well-versed in the history of Western art, Hsieh cites the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as an example. This group of British artists, founded in 1848, sought out anonymous Early Renaissance artists who served the church and religion prior to Raphael (1483–1520), and were adept at combining art and craft design, much like the creative orientation of Hsieh’s own works.

More importantly, whether the narrative is implicit or explicit does not detract from the artistic merit of his works. As Hsieh says, his credo is “to be interesting and also incorporate current affairs, while simultaneously expressing essential ideals and beliefs.”

Go Taiwan!, 2000.

 Jesus the Good Shepherd, 2003.

Taiwan’s Longevity – Immortal Tribute to Long Life, 2007.

Jesus Enters the Holy City on a Donkey, 1994.

Taiwan’s calling card

As a Catholic, Hsieh Sheng-min has a special relationship with the Vatican. Twenty years ago, when the then ambassador to the Vatican Tou Chou-seng was visiting Taiwan, the Bishop of Chiayi at that time, H.E. Peter Liu Cheng-chung, presented the ambassador with a Health and Peace print as a gift, which he took back to the Vatican.

2025 is the Taiwan Cultural Year in Europe, coinciding with the early days of Pope Leo XIV’s papacy. For an art exhibit at the Vatican, curator Apex Pan-soong Lin saw that Hsieh Sheng-min’s identity as a devout Catholic and the creative themes in his work were a perfect fit. The resulting exhibit was entitled Gloria: Taiwanese Artist Hsieh Sheng-Min’s Religious and HOPE Artworks, featuring works that convey blessings through a combination of religious materials and native Taiwanese themes. The abundance of Taiwanese elements in these works also serves as a kind of calling card from Taiwan to the new pope.

Works in the exhibition were divided into three thematic categories. The first category was “The Localization of Catholic Art in Taiwan,” showing the integration of theology and local culture.

The second category, “Inter-religious Artistic Dialogue,” focused on faith, but with a broad-minded approach that embraces diverse religious cultures.

The third category is “Jubilee Year HOPE Taiwan,” which is Taiwan’s response to and vision for the Catholic Church’s 2025 “Jubilee of Hope.” As Taiwan’s new ambassador to the Holy See, Anthony Ho, expressed when he presented his credentials to new Pope Leo XIV, the “Jubilee HOPE Taiwan” theme used “H” to represent Humanity, while “O” stood for Opportunity, “P” for Partnership, and “E” for Encounter. Conveying the glory of God through Taiwan’s beautiful scenery, the works were replete with ideas and hopes that hint at freedom, peace, democracy, and human rights. These are the universal values that Taiwan and the Vatican share, and the cornerstone of national prosperity.

The works on display all carried auspicious meanings, exuding an atmosphere of optimism and hope, like a blessing sent from Taiwan to the Vatican that will surely benefit our bilateral friendship.

Steam Train Brings Prosperity to Formosa, 1999.

Taiwan’s Fortune – Success All the Way, 2007.

Taiwan’s Blessings – A Hundred Blessings Endure, 2007.

A master of the New Year print genre, Hsieh sent his works and the blessings they invoke to the Vatican. (photo by Lin Min-hsuan)