Infinite Voyage: Shao Yung-Tien

President Shao Yung-Tien (S.Y.T.) (1967-) was born in Alian District in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Upon graduating from National Fongshan Senior Commercial & Industrial Vocational School (FSVS) in 1985, he worked as a mold maker apprentice with a daily salary of NT$150. In 1987, the year after the lifting of Martial Law in Taiwan, President Shao published his first book-Days of Youth, which tells the story of a young fellow who left his hometown with dreams for a metropolis. Seeing sky-high buildings for the first time as he walked into the modern era, he bore in mind the diligence and the spirit of hard work back in 1950s Taiwan. Having worked in the labor-intensive farming sector for years as a child, along with near-death experience with much suffering, President Shao marked “no overjoy in life, no fear in death” as his motto at a young age. In addition, with the experience of having a family member who was critically ill but was left hanging outside the hospital, he made up his mind to never be at others’ mercy. In President Shao’s paintings, his resilience and candidness are embodied through explosive paint splatters, with each color standing out in its own way.

Viewing paintings by President Shao is like having a glimpse of his entire life, which stems from his faith. His multi-faceted life, from serving as a farmer, worker, and businessman, which pretty much covers all walks of life, is also no stranger to series of failures. Despite the setbacks, President Shao shows the persistence not to give up and turns faith into the driving force for the practices of his life philosophy. On the other hand, these experiences lead President Shao into staying true to his faith through painting, which have become his regards towards gods and his own rituals.

Titled “Infinite Voyage,” the exhibition presents President Shao’s faith in not only the gods but also in his affection for the land of Alian District in Kaohsiung City, his hometown. This, again, echoes his connections to the land, plants, farming, and nature in a spiritual way, as to achieve the unity of Heaven (gods), Environment (homeland), and People (agents of artistic practice). The idea that “destiny forges one’s nature, which naturally leads to the way things are,” a Confucian idea, points out that people should follow the way of Heaven, based on which they perfect their moral practices. Taoism, in comparison, features the law of nature and advocates inaction, where people should comply with the relations of phenomena in the world and refrain from intervening in the order of the Cosmo. The “destiny” and “one’s nature” here are also shown in President Shao’s abstract paintings, which demonstrate the infinite voyage realized through Heaven, Environment, and People.

Infinite Voyage features President Shao’s 57 years of life, with the essence of 243 pieces spanning over a five-year time, and viewers will see various styles from each period beginning in 2019. With the reflections on Heaven (belief), Environment (nature), and People (painting), the artist pursues techniques that are free and true to his state of mind. Through Liberating Consciousness, Ongoing Faith, Stories on Canvas, The Faith Blossom on Snow, The Path of Painting, and Bonding with Nature, coupled with the use of new media art as a medium, one can see the context of creation for each piece and an intense touch of personal style.

President Shao’s creations feature the joy of the artist upon discovering different perceptions as he tried out various styles and, at some point, had the spiritual enlightenment at a certain moment. This harmony can not only be found in the universe and all things, but also in the impermanence and splendor in the secular world. With the same idea, art can be an earthly practice, which not only affects a certain field but also expands it.

• 藝術家Artist｜邵永添Shao Yung-Tien
• 策展人Curator｜邵雅曼Yaman Shao、羅禾淋He-Lin Luo
• 主辦單位Organizer｜金馬賓館當代美術館ALIEN Art Centre
• 策展團隊Curatorial Team｜永添藝術ALIEN Art
• 協力製作In collaboration with｜黃孟凡Meng-fan Huang、林佩穎Pei-Ying Lin、謝雨庭Yu-Ting Hsieh、黃姿婷Tzu-Ting Huang、林亭羽Ting-Yu Lin、劉友真You-Jane Liu
• 特別感謝Special Thanks to｜陽明交大林一平終身講座教授Lifetime Chair Professor Yi-Bing Lin、國立臺南藝術大學 動畫藝術與影像美學研究所Graduate Institute of Animation and Film Art,Tainan National University of the Arts、潘保源Beavis pan、劉芳一Fangyi Liu、李杰恩Lee Jay en、許莫Xu Mole