Lives and works in Chiayi, Taiwan – b. 1976, Chiayi, Taiwan.

2016 Ph.D. in Art Creation and Theory, National Tainan University of Arts, Taiwan.

Experience

2019 Assistant Professor, Department of Fine Arts, National Kaohsiung Normal University

2017 Overseas resident artist-CAI Art Village, Boston, USA

2017 Artist-in-residence at Chiayi Railway Art Village

Artists Statement

Chuang,tsung-hsun was born in 1976 in Zhongpu Township, Chiayi County, and currently resides and works in Chiayi. Since childhood, I have been passionate about images and hands-on material manipulation, independently exploring their love for art in a simple and unsystematic manner. It was during high school that their particular fondness for drawing comics earned them numerous awards within the school. Upon entering high school, they left Chiayi and pursued studies at Fu-Hsin Trade & Arts School in Taipei. At Fu-Hsin, they underwent systematic Bauhaus-style teaching within the art department, gaining practical experience in various creative mediums such as painting, sculpture, printmaking, basic modeling, photography, and graphic design, thus laying the groundwork for their future creative endeavors.

During my university in the Fine Arts department, I gained an initial understanding of contemporary art through the creative environment. In terms of practical work, I focused initially on drawing, watercolor, and oil painting. The second half of university education, I dedicated considerable to practicing printmaking, oil painting, mixed media, and new media, thereby familiarizing myself with the creative processes of different types of media. Particularly in mixed media, I had the opportunity to explore the characteristics of various materials.In the latter part of my university years, I concentrated on creating while also exploring and researching contemporary art theory. I delved extensively into art history and philosophy, enriching my understanding in these areas. My actively created graduation piece was acquired for the school’s collection, and I graduated with top honors in mixed media composition.

During my graduate studies, I focused on creative pursuits, participating in numerous art exhibitions and activities, and receiving several art awards (such as the Kaohsiung Award, Taipei Award, and Taoyuan Creative Award). In 2009, I entered the doctoral program at National Tainan University of the Arts, where I spent six years completing my studies. In 2016, I finished writing my doctoral thesis, which was highly praised by the thesis committee during the oral defense. Consequently, I obtained a Doctorate in Art Creation Theory from National Tainan University of the Arts in June of the same year.Following graduation from the doctoral program, after more than twenty years of studying, creating art, and teaching away from my hometown, in 2016, I returned to Chiayi to settle down with my wife and two young daughters to focus on my artistic endeavors.

I am bold in exploring new possibilities in my creative pursuits, including ventures into new media, video art, painting, and conceptual art. While recent works have primarily focused on painting, they still incorporate the use of diverse materials. Through perseverance, I have achieved recognition in various forms: Asia Pacific Art Award, Taipei Award, Kaohsiung Award, Boston residency, inclusion in Art Bank collections, and collections at the White Rabbit Gallery in Australia and Kaohsiung Main Public Library. Additionally, I have held over fifty solo and group exhibitions both domestically and internationally.

Creative Concept

In highly populated public areas around the world, there exists a distinct visual phenomenon of the “new landscape," where natural scenery is replaced by artificial structures. Parks, community centers, libraries, and similar public places often visited by families with children are uniformly adorned with brightly colored modular playground equipment, symbolizing goodwill towards children. Just as these facilities are intended, parents encourage children to engage physically with the equipment, simulating a relationship with nature.

Within this new artificial landscape, we observe a starkly different scenery where commercialized modules are systematically planted in public spaces worldwide, echoing and replicating. It resembles a simulated model of nature, serving as a transitional physical model for future humans entering a world increasingly dominated by artificial representations, possibly even devoid of physical existence.