Li Meishu Bio Data

李梅樹 Li Meishu

Short bio

Li Meishu

1902.03.13~1983.02.06

Birthplace / Sanxia, Taipei, Taiwan

Born to a upper-class family in Sanxia, Li Meishu began to demonstrate a propensity for painting in his early years. In 1918, he was accepted into the Painting Division of the Taiwan Governor-General's National Language School. He taught himself painting after school through a copy of A Collection of Lectures, which he acquired from Japanese through post. Upon graduating, he taught at Ruei-Fang Public School (Ruei-Fang Kōgakkō). During this time, he participated in the Summer Art Seminar organized by Ishikawa Kinichiro. His works Still Life and Backstreets of Sanxia were selected for the 1st and 2nd Taiwan Art Exhibitions (Taiten), respectively.
He then obtained his family’s consent to go to Japan to further his painting studies. In 1929, he was accepted by the Division of Western Painting at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, where he learned from teachers such as Okada Saburousuke and Kobayashi Mango.
After graduating in 1934, he returned to Taiwan and co-founded the Tai-Yang Art Society with others - including Liao Chi-chun and Chen Cheng-po - and actively promoted art events. In 1935, his work Girl at Rest was the special selection of the 9th Taiwan Art Exhibition. In 1939, his work Red Dress was selected for the 3rd Ministry of Education Art Exhibition (Shin Bunten).
After WWII, the public-minded Li Meishu served several terms as the chairman of Sanxia street, township representative, and county councilor. From 1945, he served as director of the re-construction committee of Qingshui Zushi (Divine Ancestor) Temple in Sanxia. He invited his friends in the art community, such as Chen Jin, Lin Yushan, Guo Xuehu, to draw upon the stone walls and sculptures of Zushi Temple, which made Zushi Temple a collective work of the Taiwanese artists.
From 1962, he devoted himself to the promotion of art education by teaching in the art departments of schools such as Chinese Culture University, National Taiwan University of Arts, and National Taiwan Normal University.
The subjects of his paintings focus primarily on figures, landscapes, and still lifes in a realist style. Even at a time in the 1950’s when abstract art styles were surging, his paintings still remained true to realism. Li’s paintings demonstrated strong local sentiments and his love for portraying local people and culture. His great love for Sanxia has left scenic paintings of Sanxia as Spring Dawn at Sanxia (1977), Washing Clothes in the River (1981). He also loved to use his family members as models for his paintings, and used photographed images to provide an outline or base for his work. Emphasis was put on expressing the characteristics of the people he was painting - the patterns of their clothing and subject’s relationship with the background. His works appeal to laymen as well as scholars.

-- http://chenchengpo.asdc.sinica.edu.tw/index

Li Mei-shu 李梅樹在三峽祖師廟的作品 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lee-mai-shu-wall-sculpture.jpg

Li Mei-shu 李梅樹: Washing clothes by the clear stream, oil on canvas,116.5cmx80cm,1980 新溪浣衣, 1981

李梅樹紀念館 The Li Mei-shu Memorial Gallery. http://www.limeishu.org/works_01.asp?c_Photo=90

Structured Data

Li Meishu

李梅樹

ISNI 0000 0000 8220 2706

Lee Mai-shu

Painter, sculptor

http://www.limeishu.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Mei-shu

https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/李梅樹

Li Meishu (Chinese: 李梅樹, 1902.03.13~1983.02.06), a Taiwanese artist and educator of art. From 1945, he served as director of the re-construction committee of Qingshui Zushi Temple in Sanxia and invited his friends in the art community to draw upon the stone walls and sculptures of Zushi Temple, which made Zushi Temple a collective work of the Taiwanese artists.

Born: 1902-03-13

Sanxia, Taipei, Taiwan

Died: 1983-02-06

Nationality: Taiwanese

Relations:

Alumni of: Taiwan Governor-General's National Language School

Alumni of: Tokyo School of Fine Arts

Colleague of: Chen Chengpo

Colleague of: Liao Chi-chun

Colleague of: Chen Jin

Colleague of: Lin Yushan

Colleague of: Guo Xuehu

Follows: Okada Saburosuke

Follows: Kobayashi Mango

Follows:Ishikawa Kinichiro

Taught at: Ruei-Fang Public School

Taught at: Chinese Culture University

Taught at: National Taiwan University of Arts

Taught at: National Taiwan Normal University

Important Roles:

Creator of: Washing clothes by the clear stream 新溪浣衣 (painting)

Organizer of: Re-construction committee of Qingshui Zushi (Divine Ancestor) Temple

Founder of: Tai-Yang Art Society 臺陽美術協會

Award and recognition: Still Life and Backstreets of Sanxia were selected for the 1st and 2nd Taiwan Art Exhibitions (Taiten) in 1927.

Award and recognition: Girl at Rest included in the 9th Taiwan Art Exhibition as a special selection; recipient of the Taiwan Art Exhibition Award.

Sources and references

王慶臺，〈真情記事─李梅樹的鄉土世界〉，《臺灣美術全集5‧李梅樹》，臺北市：藝術家出版社，1992，頁17-29。

湯皇珍，《三峽‧寫實‧李梅樹》，臺北市：雄獅圖書公司，1993。

顏娟英編著，《臺灣近代美術大事年表》，臺北市：雄獅圖書公司，1998。

蘇振明編著，《人親土親：李梅樹百年紀念特展專輯》，臺北市：故宮，2011。

Starting Out from 23.5°N: Chen Cheng-po, Academia Sinica Digital Center (ASDC). http://chenchengpo.asdc.sinica.edu.tw/friend_en