At 59 years of age, painter Chiang Chao-shen represents something of a contradiction in the Chinese art world. Painting in inks and water within the framework of traditional shui-mo style painting, Chiang has been hailed for bringing an emotional essence rarely associated with traditional painting to this medium. Furthermore, while art work is often regarded as the product of natural genius and inspiration, Chiang's artistic successes are generally attributed to his self-discipline.

An accomplished painter, poet and calligrapher, Chiang has received numerous awards and prizes including the prestigious Chung Shan Art Prize and an American Fulbright Award. As Deputy Head of the National Palace Museum, he is respected as one of the leading authorities on ancient Chinese painting. His own paintings, widely acclaimed by critics, fetch high prices. The artist openly admits that these accomplishments have come only after long, arduous struggle.

Surrounded by the beautiful landscapes of Anhwei, and the artistic atmosphere of his family, Chiang developed an early appreciation for art. Both his grandfather and father were accomplished painters. Anhwei, renowned for its stunning mountain scenery, has produced some of China's greatest artists. Under his father's strict guidance, Chiang was tutored at home in the art of calligraphy. His paintbrush became his constant companion. In addition to calligraphy, the young prodigy displayed promise as a poet. By the age of ten he had mastered the exacting art of seal carving.

At the time of the outbreak of the Japanese War of Resistance, this stimulating environment came to an abrupt end. Chiang's father contracted a serious illness and suddenly the 11 year old boy had to shoulder the responsibility of providing for his family. Carving seals and copying books in calligraphic script, the young Chiang was able to eke out a meager living. Despite the harshness of the situation, he was still able to continue his studies, as the copy work exposed him to many of the Chinese classics.

Chiang eventually made his way to Taiwan in the wake of the Chinese army. Married, and father to four small children, the young artist found work as a junior high school teacher in Keelung. Working days, Chiang kept his interest in art alive by studying late into the night. At this time, Chiang realized that he still needed a teacher's formal instruction, and sent a letter of introduction, along with some samples of his work to the famous artist, P'u Hsinghsu. P'u's reputation was such that any aspiring student had to first be recommended by another artist, then hold a formal reception for the artist before P'u would consider the candidate. A credit to his potential, Chiang was immediately accepted by P'u.

Once a month, after saving the necessary transportation fare, Chiang made the trip to Taipei. On his own, Chiang read and practiced diligently, fired by P'u's instruction and encouragement. The increased burdens of studying proved overwhelming however, and the exhausted Chiang contracted tuberculosis. Faced with exorbitant medical expenses, Chiang decided to hold an exhibition of his collected works. Quite to his surprise, the exhibition was so successful that all his expenses were met. The exhibition also brought Chiang into the limelight.

The National Palace Museum, impressed by his ability to inject a fresh feeling into a traditional painting form, offered him a steady position. The elated Chiang was thus able to work with the most complete collection of Chinese art treasures anywhere, researching traditional painting styles of previous dynasties. A 1969 trip to Hualien and the collection of paintings that the trip yielded, secured the Chung Shan Art prize for Chiang. The American Education Foundation awarded him a Fulbright grant to research the Soochow area painters of the late Ming dynasty at the University of Michigan. His year tenure in the United States allowed Chiang to visit and research at 11 different museums and galleries.

Chu Ko, one of Taiwan's leading art critics, himself often critical of the traditional school of painters, finds Chiang's work nothing less than miraculous. He stresses that in assessing Chiang's work, the emotion and power expressed, rather than the style, is of primary importance.

While himself unable to explain the popularity of his works, Chiang is an eloquent spokesman on painting in general and traditional painting in particular. To counter criticisms of redundancy and lack of innovation often launched at traditional Chinese painting, Chiang points to the evolution of Chinese painting. Early paintings, such as those from the Five Dynasties Period, were merely paintings of what the artist saw. As time progressed, painting became more abstract. The artist began to inject some interpretive feeling into a scene. Brush strokes and not the subject matter itself became important. Like poetry, which Chiang feels most closely approximates painting, the artist uses scenes to express feelings, thoughts, moods.

If Chiang is considered a maverick it is because he does not copy the old masters, but rather expresses his own thoughts. It is not a question of old or new, he feels, but of projecting an idea. To this end, Chiang emphasizes that the painter must concentrate on and refine his emotion, take hold of his feelings and develop them. He also abides by strict discipline, constant practice and the concurrent cultivation of other skills such as calligraphy.

An artist, a dedicated historian of Chinese painting, and an eloquent voice within the Chinese art movement, Chiang Chao-shen truly epitomizes the quintessential Chinese artist.

(Gerald Hatherly)

[Picture Caption]

1. 1968. The artist's recreation of the T'ienhsiang region, taken from his collection of paintings of the Hualien area. 2. 1979. This painting is an excellent example of the artist's genius. Varying intensities of ink help to create a feeling of distance, accentuated by dark mountains in the background. 3. The artist in thought--Chiang feels the development of a thought is the painter's most difficult task.

1. 1983. A feeling of solitude and expansiveness is created by the river in the foreground and the dark, towering cliffs in the background. The lone boat (at left), accentuates the magnificence of nature. 2. An enlargement of a segment of the above painting (1). The heavy shading of inks produces the feeling of deep, impenetrable forests. 3. 1970. An aerial view of the opposing shores of a pond. A somewhat translucent shading enhances the feeling of autumn. 4. 1983. Inspired by the writing of Sung dynasty author Su Tung-p'o (characters on left), the artist gives life to the poet's words in this vision of two opposing banks of a river and the outstretched limbs of two pine trees. The hazy outline of the background mountain completes the feeling of distance.

1. Another of the artist's many talents--seal carving. 2. 1984. The artist's view of a nighttime stroll along the banks of the Yangtze River at Ch'ihpi. Heavy, dark inks express the solitude of evening. 3. 1983. A solitary human figure (lower right of painting) among the soaring cliffs adds an interesting dimension to the painting. 4. 1977. Chiang uses his inks to create stunning images of the lotus blossom. The addition of calligraphy (at bottom), embellishes Chiang's work.

2. 1979. This painting is an excellent example of the artist's genius. Varying intensities of ink help to create a feeling of distance, accentuated by dark mountains in the background.

3. The artist in thought--Chiang feels the development of a thought is the painter's most difficult task.

1. 1983. A feeling of solitude and expansiveness is created by the river in the foreground and the dark, towering cliffs in the background. The lone boat （at left）, accentuates the magnificence of nature.

2. An enlargement of a segment of the above painting （1）. The heavy shading of inks produces the feeling of deep, impenetrable forests.

3. 1970. An aerial view of the opposing shores of a pond. A somewhat translucent shading enhances the feeling of autumn.

4. 1983. Inspired by the writing of Sung dynasty author Su Tung-p'o （characters on left）, the artist gives life to the poet's words in this vision of two opposing banks of a river and the outstretched limbs of two pine trees. The hazy outline of the background mountain completes the feeling of distance.

1. Another of the artist's many talents--seal carving.

2. 1984. The artist's view of a nighttime stroll along the banks of the Yangtze River at Ch'ihpi. Heavy, dark inks express the solitude of evening.

3. 1983. A solitary human figure （lower right of painting） among the soaring cliffs adds an interesting dimension to the painting.

4. 1977. Chiang uses his inks to create stunning images of the lotus blossom. The addition of calligraphy （at bottom）, embellishes Chiang's work.