The Broad Way Has No Shape, No Feelings and No Name

Yet It Creates The Heavens and The Earth, Moves The Sun and The Moon and Grows All Lives.

Vivian Wenhuey Chen has lived in the United States for forty years. The work exhibited here is mostly from the last three years after she came back to Taiwan, with only a few from those painted while in the United States. These paintings were created based on the experiences in Taiwan, the inspiration from the Chinese classics, the sights and lights snatched from traveling over the world and the memories of her childhood festivities and toys, synthesized in the subconciousness into abstract or semi-abstract oil or multi media paintings. They have no pre-determined shapes, no pre injected feelings and no pre selected names. They grow spontaneously. Heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon and all lives are formed in the heart of the audience.

NOTES FOR THE WORK

These artworks are not painted from real life, nor do they evolve from sketches. They grew from the synthesis of memories, feelings, imagination and sub-consciousness. The works were formed freely in the process of creation and have their own lives. The works’ success and their meanings are dictated partly by the experiences, feelings, tastes and imagination of the audience and his or her empathy with the work. Therefore any explanation by the artist is for reference at best. The following is only a note about the inspiration of the creation. Please interpret these works as you wish.

1.  Mid Summer Nights Series         In moonlight filled woods on a mid summer night

2.  Milky Way Series                         In my imagination, the Milky Way must be so colorful

3.  Roaming the Seven Seas             The lights and sights snatched while roaming the world

4.  Festivals of My Childhood         Revisited Taiwan after forty years of being immersed in a different culture, the memories of childhood festivals surfaced like a wellspring.

5.  Toy Series                                      Images of my childhood toys emerged after a stroll down the street in the old town of Dan Shui

6.  The World Culture Heritage       The World Culture Heritage evokes much thought

7.  People Series                                 Examine various emotions of people and fairies

8  Dan Shui Series                             Guan Yin Mountain in Dan Shui is so beautiful that I have no heart  to abstractize it.

9.  Un Flower Series                          Unable to compete with God in creating flowers, I painted un flowers

10.  Taipei                                           The colors and lights of Taipei make one dizzy

11.  Soul Mates                                  Comedy and Tragedy follow each other

12.  Pure and Quiet Sutra                  The Broad Way has no shape, no feelings and no name, yet it creates the heavens and the earth, moves the sun and the moon, grows all lives. Isn’t this the principal of abstract paintings?

13.  Tang Poems                                 It is not only the poet Wang Wei that painted pictures in his poems

14.  Life Series                                     This encompasses desires, feelings, loves, happiness, sadness, ecstasy and despair of lives

15,  Un Fog                                         Is it pure abstract or fog?