2017 Trend Changes-Taiwan Contemporary Ink Art Exhibition: Generational Renewal 「流變─世代出新的臺灣當代水墨展」
May 21 - Jun 30, 2017
Curated by Professor Lien-Tung Chuang of the Department of Fine Arts at National Taiwan Normal University, Trend Changes – Taiwan Contemporary Ink Art Exhibition: Generational Renewal brings together six contemporary ink artists born in the 1960s and 1970s from both northern and southern Taiwan. The exhibition was held at GSA Gallery – Beautiful Taiwan Art Space from May 21 to June 30, 2017.
All participating artists, including the curator himself, are active educators in ink art programs at major Taiwanese universities. This exhibition presents a generational dialogue among artists with shared socio-cultural backgrounds while analyzing their individual differences. Through a broad and reflective lens, it explores the evolving landscape of ink art in Taiwan and seeks to position this generation within a larger art historical framework. Born during a transitional era, these artists were trained in a time when local realism dominated Taiwanese ink art education. With strong foundational techniques, their styles were initially shaped by the ethos of their mentors.
However, upon returning to academia as educators themselves, they encountered the sweeping influence of Western contemporary art. As nostalgia-driven realism began to fade from the mainstream, these artists found themselves at a creative crossroads—challenged by new trends and their students alike. This tension became a catalyst for personal reinvention and stylistic evolution. The rise of individual consciousness has since become a vital force in the transformation of ink art, positioning these artists as both inheritors and innovators within the medium’s lineage.
This generational renewal in contemporary ink art is marked by a shift from traditional landscape sketches toward more introspective and socially engaged themes. Technically, the artists are unafraid to break with convention, experimenting with materials, merging Eastern and Western artistic philosophies, and reconfiguring tonal structures. Their work not only reflects a mastery of technique but also bridges tradition and innovation—preserving the spirit of classical ink painting while forging bold new aesthetic pathways for the next generation.
策展人莊連東集結1960-1970年世代分屬南北的臺灣水墨藝術家，於國璽藝術─美麗臺灣藝術空間展出「流變─世代出新的臺灣當代水墨展」，展覽期間為2017年5月21日至6月30日。
展出藝術家包含本次策展人─國立臺灣師範大學美術系莊連東教授，共六位當代水墨藝術家橫跨1960-1970年代，皆任教於國內大學美術院校水墨相關科系。透過對於相同成長背景的世代討論，並分析其差異，以宏觀的視野去探討水墨流變的面貌，給予此世代的水墨藝術家一個重要的歷史定位。該年代出生的臺灣水墨藝術家位處於承先啟後的特殊歷史位置，學習階段懷鄉寫實主義正興盛，在紮實的基本功訓練下其繪畫技巧成熟。如此養成的繪畫風格以教師身分重返校園，卻面臨西方當代藝術風潮的席捲，懷鄉寫實主義逐漸退出主流；身為教師，不只迎接時代潮流及學生的挑戰，更是對自我創作風格推陳出新的動力，個人意識的壯大成為水墨藝術轉化的重要元素之一，處於此流變之下的水墨藝術家，產生了特殊的創作樣貌，也成為當代水墨發展的一個重要轉捩點。
當代水墨世代出新，本次參展水墨藝術家除在創作主題逐漸由風土寫生轉移到個人意識及社會議題以外，在創作技巧上更是勇於突破傳統思維，對於媒材的變化、東西方繪畫理念、色調配置…不只體現紮實的技巧，更融合了新舊思維，為新一代開拓創作新思維，保留上一代對水墨氣韻的堅持，締造全新水墨印象。
All participating artists, including the curator himself, are active educators in ink art programs at major Taiwanese universities. This exhibition presents a generational dialogue among artists with shared socio-cultural backgrounds while analyzing their individual differences. Through a broad and reflective lens, it explores the evolving landscape of ink art in Taiwan and seeks to position this generation within a larger art historical framework. Born during a transitional era, these artists were trained in a time when local realism dominated Taiwanese ink art education. With strong foundational techniques, their styles were initially shaped by the ethos of their mentors.
However, upon returning to academia as educators themselves, they encountered the sweeping influence of Western contemporary art. As nostalgia-driven realism began to fade from the mainstream, these artists found themselves at a creative crossroads—challenged by new trends and their students alike. This tension became a catalyst for personal reinvention and stylistic evolution. The rise of individual consciousness has since become a vital force in the transformation of ink art, positioning these artists as both inheritors and innovators within the medium’s lineage.
This generational renewal in contemporary ink art is marked by a shift from traditional landscape sketches toward more introspective and socially engaged themes. Technically, the artists are unafraid to break with convention, experimenting with materials, merging Eastern and Western artistic philosophies, and reconfiguring tonal structures. Their work not only reflects a mastery of technique but also bridges tradition and innovation—preserving the spirit of classical ink painting while forging bold new aesthetic pathways for the next generation.
策展人莊連東集結1960-1970年世代分屬南北的臺灣水墨藝術家，於國璽藝術─美麗臺灣藝術空間展出「流變─世代出新的臺灣當代水墨展」，展覽期間為2017年5月21日至6月30日。
展出藝術家包含本次策展人─國立臺灣師範大學美術系莊連東教授，共六位當代水墨藝術家橫跨1960-1970年代，皆任教於國內大學美術院校水墨相關科系。透過對於相同成長背景的世代討論，並分析其差異，以宏觀的視野去探討水墨流變的面貌，給予此世代的水墨藝術家一個重要的歷史定位。該年代出生的臺灣水墨藝術家位處於承先啟後的特殊歷史位置，學習階段懷鄉寫實主義正興盛，在紮實的基本功訓練下其繪畫技巧成熟。如此養成的繪畫風格以教師身分重返校園，卻面臨西方當代藝術風潮的席捲，懷鄉寫實主義逐漸退出主流；身為教師，不只迎接時代潮流及學生的挑戰，更是對自我創作風格推陳出新的動力，個人意識的壯大成為水墨藝術轉化的重要元素之一，處於此流變之下的水墨藝術家，產生了特殊的創作樣貌，也成為當代水墨發展的一個重要轉捩點。
當代水墨世代出新，本次參展水墨藝術家除在創作主題逐漸由風土寫生轉移到個人意識及社會議題以外，在創作技巧上更是勇於突破傳統思維，對於媒材的變化、東西方繪畫理念、色調配置…不只體現紮實的技巧，更融合了新舊思維，為新一代開拓創作新思維，保留上一代對水墨氣韻的堅持，締造全新水墨印象。
