Hsiao Chin
Introduction
Born in 1935 in Shanghai, Hsiao Chin is part of the second generation of Chinese diaspora painters. He moved to Taiwan in 1949, and in 1955 graduated from the Fine Arts Department of the National Taiwan Normal University, having studied drawing under Chu Teh-Chun. In 1956, Hsiao co-founded the Ton-Fan art movement, which in contrast to the Fifth Moon Group, sought to situate itself as part of other international modern art movements. He went on to organise over thirty overseas exhibitions for the Ton-Fan group, bringing a new era of Taiwan art to the world stage. He later founded the Punto movement. In the same year 1956, the Spanish Government awarded Hsiao an art scholarship to be completed in Barcelona. In 1959, he settled in Milan and continued to live in Italy for over forty years while travelling to Paris, London, New York and Asia. In 1996, he returned to Taipei as a Professor of Painting at the Tainan National University of the Arts. In 2005, he retired and was awarded the title of Knight and “Star of Solidarity” by the Italian president. Hsiao passed away in Kaohsiung in Taiwan at the age of 88.
Alisan Fine Arts has included Hsiao in several important group shows and organised two solo exhibitions for the artist in 1987 and 1993. Hsiao has held numerous solo shows and has been included in group exhibitions throughout Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. He has also personally organised several travelling exhibitions of Chinese art in Europe, and of European contemporary art in Taiwan. Several retrospective exhibitions have been held in honour of the artist, including at Studio Marconi, Milan in 1988, the National Taiwan Museum of Fines Arts in 1992, Shanghai Art Museum and Guangdong Art Museum in 2004, National Art Museum of China, Beijing in 2006, and the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts in 2010. In 2000 he exhibited at the 7th Venice Biennale of Architecture. His works have been collected by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, Rome; Museo de Arte Moderno, Barcelona; Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Germany; Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne; Taipei National Fine Arts Museum; National Museum of History, Taipei; National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts; National Art Museum of China, Beijing; Shanghai Art Museum.
BIOGRAPHY
1935 Born in Shanghai, China. Son of Hsiao Yo-Mei, composer, conductor, and founder of the National Conservatory in Shanghai
1949 Moved to Taiwan with his family
1951 Entered the National Taiwan Normal University and studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts until 1955
1951-55 Studied painting and drawing in Taipei with Li Chun-Sen
1956 Received a scholarship from the Spanish government and went to Barcelona, Spain
Met the Spanish “Informalism” group including artists such as Tapies, Saura, Cuixart, Millares, and Feito
Proceeded to travel and work in Spain, France, England, and Italy
1957 Founding member of the first Chinese Abstract Art Movement, the “ Ton Fan Group”, Taipei, Taiwan
1959 Moved to Milan, Italy, and there became acquainted with Fontana, Manzoni, and Castellani
1961 Founding member of the International Punto Movement, Milan, Italy
1964-72 Worked and lived in Paris, London, New York and Milan
1969 Taught painting and design at Southampton College, Long Island, New York City, USA
1974 Be granted Italian citizenship
1978 Founding member of the International Art Movement “Surya”, Milan, Italy
1983 Taught artistic anatomy at the Academy of Fine Arts, Urbino, Italy
1985 Taught technique at the Brera Academy, Milan, Italy
1986 Invited to the Commemoration Ceremony of the 120th Anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-Sen
1988 Studio Marconi in Milan organized a large retrospective exhibition of Hsiao Chin’s work from 1958 to 1988
1990 The University of Macerata honoured him with a show of his Tienanmen series, created during his stay in Mainland China in 1989
1992 The Taiwan Museum of Art honoured him with a retrospective show of his works from the years 1955 to 1992
2005 Award Knight title “Star of Solidarity” by Italian President
Retired from Tainan National University of the Arts, and awarded as “Emeritus Professor”
2016 Works included in gallery monograph Alisan Fine Arts 35 Years, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
2023 Passed away in Taiwan at the age of 88
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBTIONS
2023
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To Infinity and Beyond: The Art of Hsiao Chin, MGM, Macau
2021
- Hsiao Chin at 85: An Exhibition of Transcendent, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2020
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Prine Exhibition: Hsiao Chin, Lotus Art Gallery, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2015
- Hsiao Chin, De Sarthe Gallery, Hong Kong
- Eternal Energy, Lotus Art Gallery, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Homage to the Master: Rtrospective of Hsiao Chin, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Hsiao Chin: Taiyu Beaux-Arts Salon, Chiayi, Taiwan
- Hsiao Chin's Painting 1955-2005, National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
- Retrospective Exhibition, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
- Retrospective Exhibition, Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou, China
- Travelling Exhibtion, Chiao Tung University Arts Centre, Hsin Chu; Ocean University Arts Centre, Tainan; Central University Art Centre, Chungli; Chekung University Art Centre, Tainan National Univerity, Tainan; Chungshun University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Exhibition of Works on Paper, Canvas and Ceramic, Galleria Marconi, Milan, Italy
- Fondazione Mudima, Studio Lattuada, Spazio Oberdan
- Flash Art Museum, Umbria, Italy
- Taipei Fine Arts, Museum, Taiwan
- 1st exhibtion in China, Central Art Academy, Beijing; China Art Academy, Hangzhou, China
- A Taoist Way to Colour: Recent Paintings by Hsiao Chin, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
- Contemporary Art Gallery, Taichung, Taiwan
- Hsiao Chin Retrospective Exhibition, Taiwan Museum of Art, Taipei, Taiwan
- Hsiao Chin Retrospective Exhibition, Studio Marconi, Milan, Italy
- Hsiao Chin, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
- Hong Kong Institute for Promotion of Chinese Culture, Hong Kong
- Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
- National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBTIONS
2024-2025
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The Journey of Ink: Modern and Contemporary Chinese Paintings from the Musée Cernuschi, Bund One Art Museum, Shanghai, China (Until Jan 5, 2025)
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Art Basel Hong Kong, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
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Fifth Moon and Ton-Fan: The Birth of Modernist Art Movement in Taiwan, National Taiwan Arts Education Centre, National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
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Chengdu Biennale: Time Gravity, Chengdu Art Museum, Chengdu, China
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Ink in Motion: A History of Chinese Painting in the 20th Century, Cernuschi Museum, Paris, France
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Ink Dreams: Selections from the Fondation INK Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA
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Shanghai Waves Historical Archives and Works of Shanghai Biennial, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai, China
- Inquiry on Water: Exhibition & International Symposium, Suning rt Museum, Shanghai, China
- Art Taipei 2015, Taipei, Taiwan
- YES, TAIWAN - 2012 Taiwan Biennial, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan
2011
- Abstract Art in Taiwan, Taipei Fine Art Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
- Beyond Representation, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
- 7th Biennal International of Architecture of Venice, Venice, Italy
- Shanghai Biennial, Shanghai, China
- Chinese Abstraction & Beyond, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
- The Chinese Root: Works by Mainland and Overseas Chinese Artists, Alisan Fine Arts, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
1992
- Art Asia Hong Kong, Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong
- International Art Centre, Taipei, Taiwan
- Contmporary Art Centre, Taichung, Taiwan
- Hong Kong Institute for Promotion of Chinese Culture, Hong Kong
- Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
- National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
- Civic Museum of Modern Art, Modena, Italy
- Museum of Maribor, Maribor, Yugoslavia
- Municipal Museum, Mataró, Spain
1994 First Prize of the XXI Premio Internazionale 'Arte Contemporanea, Sulmona (AQ), Italy
1989 First Achievement Award from the Li Chun-Sen Foudation of Contemporary Painting, Taipei, Taiwan
1985 Prize awarded at the XIII Art Awards in the city of Gallarate, Italy
1984 Gold medal of Norwegian International Print Biennale, Fredristad, Norway
1976 Second Prize of International Art, Filottrao, Italy
1975 Master of Italian Painting Prize, Marsala, Italy
1969 Capo d'Orlando painting prize
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
New York Public Library, New York, USA
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, USA
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, USA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA
Fogg Art Museum, Boston, USA
Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, Rome, Italy
Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, Germany
Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts, Lausanne, Switzerland
National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, UK
Museo de Arte Moderno, Barcelona, Spain
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Barcelona, Spain
National Art Museum of China, Beijing, China
Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
Taipei National Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
National Museum of History, Taipei, Taiwan
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan
