|
T. F. Chen, born in Taiwan in 1936, attended the Sorbonne in Paris on a scholarship awarded by the French government, and simultaneously studied painting at L'Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts. It was during this period of study that he developed the theory of "five-dimensional universal culture" and initiated "neo-iconography" in his paintings. Dr. Chen believes that finally after centuries of clashes between the East and West, a united culture has been born and a new spirit and energy are emerging. Neo-iconography is a new form of communication uniting these global cultures by combining familiar "icons" in unfamiliar ways. Dr. Chen gathers icons from around the world, and places them together in contexts that defy time, space and cultural barriers. The concept of neo-iconography is a daring form of art because it challenges both the artist and the viewer to discover new meanings of established images. With an astonishing array of technique in composition and color, an exhaustive knowledge of the world's master artworks, and a deep concern for the issues facing humanity, Dr. Chen continues to dare himself and his audience with explorations in free expressions. Dr. Chen has had more than 80 solo exhibitions in Europe, America and Asia, has published books, and was twice elected chairperson of the Fine Arts Section for the International Conference on the Arts. Chen's works are in many private and public collections, including those of the Museum of Modern art in Paris, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, and the WhiteHouse. 1963 First Municipal Bank, Taiwan 1970 Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris 1978 Gallerie d'Art, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 1981 Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. 1984 Lucia Gallery, SoHo, New York City. 1988 Gallery New World, Taipei 1990 Barbison Center, Amsterdam 1992 Hong Kong Convention Center 1993 Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York City |