Chi Chang Yuan:The Aesthetic World of Chang Yun-chung

As he looks back on his 70-some years of collecting art, Chang tells of a childhood filled with an atmosphere of aesthetic appreciation.

Chang Yun-chung was born in Taya, Taichung County in 1928. The Changs were a locally prestigious clan of gentlemen farmers and scholars. His paternal grandfather Chang Shu-ping passed the imperial civil service examination, and his elders in his father's and his own generation became connoisseurs of art and antiques. His maternal grandfather was a scholar from Shekou in Fengyuan and an even more avid collector. Scholars and literati visiting from Japan, mainland China, Britain, and America would make special trips to visit him, and were always received warmly.

The sheep that graze in front of Chi Chang Yuan might be taken for the real thing. In fact, they are the work of the French artist Lalanne. The sheep contribute to the refined feel of a European garden, and through them one can see the satisfied, child-like playfulness of the gallery's proprietor.

Growing up around refined works of calligraphy, art and antiques and hearing the conversation of family members and friends on the subject meant that the young Chang developed a unique aesthetic sensibility. His father passed away when he was eight years old, and his inheritance was kept in trust for him by his mother. When art dealers came around to the Chang household, Chang began to deal in antiques with the recommendation and support of his elder brothers.

After graduating from the Taichung Institute of Technology, Chang began to think about ways to make a living. As his family was a landowning one, it was impacted as the government began to claim more and more of the family properties in carrying out such policies as the 37.5% reduction of farm rent and the equalization of land rights. His older brother, then working at National Taiwan University, introduced him to a friend in the import-export business, who encouraged Chang to enter the field. At the young age of 24, Chang went into the bicycle importing business.

As he grew older, Chang wished to dispose of certain pieces that he had collected in the early years, and this impulse led him down his destined path as an art dealer. He remembers, "If there was a piece that I didn't really like, I would be willing to part with it even at a slight loss. I treated such losses as the price I paid for learning the business."

In the 1950s, Taiwan was emerging from the ravages of war and beginning to increase its trading activities abroad. At that time, the first destinations for businesses seeking opportunities overseas were Japan and America. Japan was preferred due to its relative proximity to Taiwan and common linguistic background. In 1954, Chang moved to Japan and entered the elevator business, even then continuing to devote his spare time to art collecting.

While in Japan he met his wife, also a Taiwanese compatriot whose uncle, Lin Yi-wen, was the head of the Japanese Overseas Chinese Association at the time.

In 1966, mainland China embarked on the decade-long Cultural Revolution. Many precious works of art that had for generations been in the homes of the landed gentry were confiscated or liquidated and entered the marketplace, many of them sold cheaply into Japan. Seizing the opportunity, Chang purchased large quantities of this art that was now flowing into foreign countries.

Chang cannot remember how many works of calligraphy and art have passed through his hands. At the height of his collecting, he possessed as many as 160,000 works of art. To facilitate his collecting, he set up a gallery called Yugato ("the arrival of honored guests") in Nishiazabu, a prestigious shopping district in Tokyo.

Chi Chang Yuan also features a restaurant where one can enjoy fresh bamboo shoots from Kuanmiao in Tainan and free-range chicken in an abalone broth. After feasting one's eyes on such delicacies, one can then partake of an exquisite meal.

As an interlude in this tale, Chang recalls that as he was surrounding himself with exquisite antiques, calligraphy and paintings in his home, he also occasionally tried his hand at calligraphy and painted flowers and birds for his own amusement. When he was 30, Chang sought a teacher to study painting, roused as he was to follow in the path of artists of old. The renowned art collector and scion of the Panchiao Lin family, Lin Hsiung-kuang, heard of his artistic aspirations and counseled him to choose between becoming an artist or an art connoisseur, but not to attempt both.

Lin's explanation was as follows: "Countless literati have studied painting under a teacher. Painting, however, requires talent. If one is not gifted at painting, one tends upon seeing other artists' work to feel that it is superior work, making it easy to overestimate their artistic worth and paying too much for them. However, even a renowned work of art has its flaws. If one is a first-rate connoisseur, one uses those flaws as bargaining leverage towards a better price, allowing one to buy good art for less money and realize greater profits." Chang heeded this advice, and from then on abandoned his dreams of becoming a painter.

Chang stresses that to become a first-rate connoisseur takes a lot of viewing, reading, purchasing, selling, and what he calls "losing money."

"To read closely in the ancient texts allows you to bolster your basic knowledge of Chinese painting. When you buy and sell frequently, you increase your opportunities and experience in appraising art. If you lose money a few times, you'll learn by your mistakes when you think back over why it is that you lost money that time, asking yourself in what respect your aesthetic sensibility might have been lacking in that particular instance. This is the only way to become a first-rate connoisseur."

Speaking of silk paintings, in the Yuan dynasty silk thread was produced by hand in the absence of automated looms; that silk was uneven in its thickness, making for cloth that was less even and less shiny. Advances in weaving technology in the Qing dynasty meant finer, more consistent silk cloth that in comparison displayed a more refined texture. Chang says, "Understanding developments in the technology of folk arts and crafts in each dynasty is also a part of a connoisseur's basic knowledge."

Japanese ukiyo-e ("floating world") paintings uniquely reflect an age of Japanese political reclusion and feudalism, and serve as a valuable resource for the study of Japanese culture.

Chang Yun-chung explains in his own idiosyncratic fashion what he takes as the essence of "buying and selling" art: "In Chinese, the characters for 'buy' and 'sell' both have the radical denoting a cowry shell. Cowry shells meant money, meaning that the ancients linked this word to transactions in the marketplace. When the Chinese do business, they buy before they sell. Atop the 'buy' character in Chinese is the character for 'four,' which means that one should buy something at 40% of its market value. The upper part of the character for 'sell' can be broken down into the characters for the numbers 'ten,' 'one,' and 'four.' 'Ten' refers to making a profit, while 'one' and 'four' are whole numbers. Taken together, these numbers tell us that when one sells one should aim for a 10% to 40% profit."

Chang observes that in his experience Japanese businessmen often line up a buyer before seeking products to sell, hence selling before buying. This makes one susceptible to influence from the buyer and opens up the possibility for loss. The Chinese, however, tend to first buy first then sell when a good opportunity arises, a way of doing business that is less susceptible to the market's volatility even as it requires more capital and inventory. Chang was fortunate to have the vast resources of the Chang family behind him as his unique business advantage.

In the seemingly countless storehouses of Chi Chang Yuan, calligraphy and paintings from Japanese collectors are stored away in long boxes. Works of calligraphy and painting from China, however, are stacked up in rolls atop each other.

Chang explains that this difference is not due to Japanese collectors cherishing their artwork more than their Chinese counterparts, but due to the Chinese historical context of political instability, with its numerous periods of warfare throughout the generations. In such times, people would flee along with whatever valuables they could bring with them. Keeping one's art as the Japanese did in embroidered boxes took up space and limited what could be taken along. The Chinese tended to apply a layer of wax to the reverse of their mounted artwork, which was smoothed over with a stone. This wax coating prevented sticking and cross-staining when the works were rolled up, and made the paper thinner and more resistant to tearing. Dozens of calligraphic works and paintings could thus be rolled up together and accompany their owners as they fled for their lives.

Chi Chang Yuan also features a restaurant where one can enjoy fresh bamboo shoots from Kuanmiao in Tainan and free-range chicken in an abalone broth. After feasting one's eyes on such delicacies, one can then partake of an exquisite meal.

Through his operating Yugato, countless works of Chinese art would pass through Chang's hands. But while he was intimately familiar with Chinese art throughout the dynasties, he was wholly ignorant of Taiwan's cultural artifacts.

In 1971, Chang was introduced through an uncle to Hsiao Tsai-huo, a legislator from Nantou County. Hsiao had traveled to Tokyo to buy some paintings from Chang. Chang showed the best of his paintings to this compatriot from afar. "What I mean by 'best' is that not only were they reputable works but also in a well-preserved state. Works that did not meet these specifications I'd keep in my storehouse and wait for an opportunity to sell."

Chang remembers that Hsiao carried with him Lien Heng's History of Taiwan. Hsiao would refer to this book as he perused Chang's artworks, and it seemed that he was dissatisfied with what he saw. Hsiao than asked to see the works that were in storage, a request that Chang was happy to comply with given that those works were ordinarily not readily saleable.

Unexpectedly, Hsiao began to beam with joy when he compared the paintings there to those in his book, and over the next two weeks researched and cross-checked from dusk till dawn each day. Puzzled, Chang borrowed his History of Taiwan only to find records of well-known folk artists.

A year after returning to Taiwan, Hsiao sent Chang an exhibit catalog, in which most of the paintings represented had been acquired at Yugato. Hsiao specially thanked Chang for his contribution to the preservation of Taiwanese art. Only then did Chang begin to pay attention to the work of Taiwanese artists.

Chi Chang Yuan also features a restaurant where one can enjoy fresh bamboo shoots from Kuanmiao in Tainan and free-range chicken in an abalone broth. After feasting one's eyes on such delicacies, one can then partake of an exquisite meal.

In 30 years of expansive collecting, Chang amassed a collection of Taiwanese paintings. The over 500 articles range from works from the era of the Qianlong emperor of the Qing dynasty to Hsieh Kuan-chiao's bamboos, Lin Chao-ying's calligraphic handscrolls, He Tan-shan's birds and flowers on long scrolls, and Tsai Chiu-wu's carp paintings. Such works would be prized possession of any museum. Significantly these works were well preserved by collectors in Japan. They might otherwise have fallen prey to mold and insect damage in Taiwan's warm, humid climate.

Chang says, "In Taiwan's limited space, many of its cultural artifacts were damaged due to conditions of war and frequent natural disasters. Art that was well preserved was held by private collectors as family heirlooms and not easily seen on the market. These factors made collecting quite difficult." When the early settlers from China crossed the sea to make a life in Taiwan, they rented the land that they farmed. When it came time to pay their rent, they would see paintings in the homes of their landlords and imagine that one day they too would grow prosperous and also enjoy such things. When they did have the money and bought calligraphy and paintings for their homes, however, art was kept in an environment where the living room often doubled as the dining room. Paintings would be subject to kitchen fumes, flies, cockroaches, and humidity, easily warping. Damaged paintings would then be replaced. Because the conditions for preserving art were less than ideal, many early works of Taiwanese calligraphy and painting were damaged, one of the main reasons that collecting such works is difficult.

The early Taiwanese calligraphy and painting Chang amassed has been enthusiastically received by numerous collectors. Chang, however, feels that his collection is a repository of source material for researching the development of Taiwanese art and the relationship between Taiwanese and Chinese culture. Even if he commanded high prices for these paintings, once they were sold off one by one, it would be exceedingly difficult to track down and study them.

As a businessman with high ideals, Chang has decided to preserve this collection of Taiwanese art. Beginning this June, and upon the recommendation of Wang Shou-lai of the Council for Cultural Affairs, this invaluable collection will be exhibited for a month at the National Museum of History.

Though located in the exclusive Hung Shee Village complex in Ta Shee, Chi Chang Yuan is an open place where the public at large can enjoy art.

In 1972, Taiwan and Japan broke off diplomatic relations when the latter officially recognized the government of the People's Republic of China. Citizens of the Republic of China residing in Japan at the time were asked to choose between Japanese citizenship, becoming stateless, or citizenship of the PRC.

Chang says with deep feeling, "It's impossible for someone from Taiwan to identify themselves with the PRC. However, for a businessman to have no country of citizenship would call into question his civic identity and financial status. I could not but take Japanese citizenship." He did so, changing his name to Katsuyama Shiro.

Being an art dealer requires both vision as well as opportunities. When it comes to young painters in the current generation, Chang has been able to provide that unique vision along with his investment and cultivation of these artists.

Having lived in Japan for so many years, Chang has come to know countless renowned Japanese artists. He remains devoted to the young painter and Tokyo University graduate Senju Hiroshi, collecting works from various periods of his career. Hiroshi combines the serenity and gentleness of traditional Japanese painting with Western techniques. That his work has been well received in Japan in recent years is also a testament to Chang's singular support.

When he felt that there were talented, hard-working artists in Taiwan, Chang would invite them to Japan. By day, he would arrange for them to visit art museums. By night he would tutor them in etiquette, personal presence, and conversation, and introduce them to members of the Japanese artistic world. With his keen connoisseurial eye, he would identify their artistic blind spots or suggest areas of needed improvement.

Chang does not hide the fact that he hopes that his efforts and tutelage will result in renown for these artists and a return on his investments in their work. His keen eye and his promotion of their careers have indeed resulted in international renown for a number of Taiwanese artists.

The collapse of the economic bubble in Japan in recent years has meant that many private art galleries face dire financial straits. Many contemporary works of art have consequently been auctioned off. Even though Western art is not one of Chang's professional fortes, he has nonetheless purchased considerable numbers of both Eastern as well as Western masterworks including glasswork by French Art Nouveau artist Emile Galle; thousands of Japanese ukiyo-e ("floating world") paintings that reflect an age of Japanese political reclusion and feudalism, reflect folk customs, and serve as valuable resources for the study of Japanese culture; and 19th-century European oil paintings, antiques, sculptures, and furniture. Seeing these resplendent works of art displayed with such care, one feels as if transported to the home of a European noble family.

In 1994, after long years of absence from Taiwan, Chang heeded the advice of his nephew Chang Hsiu-cheng (chairman of the Hone Shee Group) and returned here to establish Chi Chang Yuan. While the Hone Shee Group subsequently underwent a number of changes, Chi Chang Yuan continued to grow in its renown.

Chang's beloved Taiwanese artifacts will be on display this June at the National Museum of History. Pictured is the calligraphy of the renowned early artist Lin Chao-ying. (courtesy of Chang Yun-chung)

Half a century of dealing in art had yielded excellent relationships with those in government and business for Chang. On top of having this vast network of relationships, Chang has established a first-rate reputation as a connoisseur of the arts. During this interview, he spoke elegantly and expertly, though modestly. Mrs. Chang, who had been sitting by his side throughout, gave a little smile as she began to speak about how she met Chang in Japan, where she had gone to study. While she was nervous and anxious when introduced by a matchmaker to Chang, Chang, a widower at the time, decided at a single glance that he would spend his life with her.

Chang smiles as he says: "As a dealer in cultural artifacts, I have to be able to judge a work's merit in a single glance and come to a decision immediately." A good work of art, he stresses, communicates of its own, expressing itself in a unified impression through ways that include its form, lines, and color. People, Chang avers, are the same, expressing themselves through their outwardly observable speech, attire, demeanor, and actions.

This visitor laughed heartily upon encountering Chang's humorous way of speaking. Meanwhile, his capable and creative wife had readied a repast at the gallery's restaurant. The menu included fresh bamboo shoots, delivered still wet with dew from Kuanmiao in Tainan, prepared upon the recommendation of a renowned Japanese chef; free-range chicken, a specialty from Tahsi; an abalone broth made by simmering marinated ham, scallops, and abalone for hours; fried shrimp pancakes; and freshly picked organic greens from the garden. After feasting on it with one's eyes, it was a pleasure to partake of this exquisite meal, gazing out the window at Lalanne's sheep, savoring a moment that had been given over completely to the love of art.

In recent years Chang has collected quite a number of works of art from the West, including glasswork by French Art Nouveau artist Emile Galle.

Opening hours: 100-1800

Entrance fee:NT$100/person; half price for groups over 20

Contact number:03-3875866

Reservations required for restaurant

East Asian art has always been a specialty and a passion of Chang's. Pictured is a breathtaking bronze statue of a standing Buddha.

19th-century European paintings, tastefully arranged in the galleries, seem to transport the viewer to the home of European nobility.

Though located in the exclusive Hung Shee Village complex in Ta Shee, Chi Chang Yuan is an open place where the public at large can enjoy art.

In 1966, mainland China embarked on the decade-long Cultural Revolution. During this period, many precious works of calligraphy and painting appeared on the Japanese market at very low prices. Chang purchased a large number of such works. Pictured is a portion of Chi Chang Yuan's section devoted to Chinese calligraphy and painting.

Though located in the exclusive Hung Shee Village complex in Ta Shee, Chi Chang Yuan is an open place where the public at large can enjoy art.

Chi Chang Yuan also features a restaurant where one can enjoy fresh bamboo shoots from Kuanmiao in Tainan and free-range chicken in an abalone broth. After feasting one's eyes on such delicacies, one can then partake of an exquisite meal.

In Chang's overflowing warehouses, one finds works from Japanese collectors stored away carefully in long boxes (top). Works from Chinese collectors, however, are stored in rolls (bottom). Chang explains that this latter form was related to conditions brought about by the unstable political situation in China.

Displaying fascinating expertise and humor, Chang Yun-chung speaks of his half century as an art dealer, a time in which he cultivated countless relationships and established himself as an artistic authority. In 1994, Chang and his wife Kuo Yu-yu returned to Taiwan, where they have opened up Chi Chang Yuan.

In Chang's overflowing warehouses, one finds works from Japanese collectors stored away carefully in long boxes (top). Works from Chinese collectors, however, are stored in rolls (bottom). Chang explains that this latter form was related to conditions brought about by the unstable political situation in China.

Chi Chang Yuan also features a restaurant where one can enjoy fresh bamboo shoots from Kuanmiao in Tainan and free-range chicken in an abalone broth. After feasting one's eyes on such delicacies, one can then partake of an exquisite meal.