To An Infinite Ascendence: Hsiao Chin Solo Exhibition

Hsiao Chin has maneuverers between the Eastern and the Western art scene in the past 60 years. From the Ton-Fan Art Group in Taipei to the founding of the Punto International Art Movement in Milan, Hsiao Chin has magnificently incorporated theories of Eastern metaphysics and philosophical theories in his abstract artistic productions. The artist actively explored the sceneries beyond the confines of life that predicates upon notions of the boundless universe and oriental philosophical theories that emphasized on the dichotomous nature of the world that transcends beyond the realm of life. These inspirations are deeply rooted in the artist’s gratitude towards life and his perpetual exploration on the meanings of being and his spiritual quest for ascendence.

Hsiao Chin’s Solo Exhibition To An Infinite Ascendence will showcase an important selection of works from different periods of the artist’s oeuvre since the 1960s. It is an extension following Hsiao Chin’s retrospective exhibition Eighty Years of Energy in Taiwan and his Bright Light – Homage to Ascendence exhibition at the Tsz Shan Monastery in Hong Kong, which testifies to Hsiao Chin’s ability to incorporate oriental philosophical thinking into modern abstract art from his profound introspections and contemplation on the ascendence of life.

The 1960s highlight the artist’s achievement of a seamless incorporation of Eastern spirits in Western abstraction that remains to be an important cornerstone of Hsiao’s oeuvre. The artist explored theories derived from Buddhism, Taoism and Lao-Zhuang rooted in Chinese traditions and transformed these Eastern metaphysics and philosophical theories of life into his abstract works. Hsiao Chin developed the “Tao”, “Chi”, “Dancing Light”, “Sun” and “Ch’an” series during the 60s and the 70s that predicate upon the notion of oriental thinking and selfless ascendence. These inspirations originated from the formless and yet omnipresent energy that encompasses within the boundless universe, of which it is called the energy of “chi”. By transforming the “intangible universe” and the dichotomy between emptiness and fullness to visually perceptible art forms by drawing insights from the inner spirits of Tao and Zen, as well as all tangible and intangible beings in this world, magnificently showcase the interaction of the void and solid energies and the ethereal spirituality of life.

The artist had painted with acrylics, the then innovative medium in vibrant colours and dynamic brushstrokes. These colourful spatters and geometric compositions add an expressive element to these works, transforming ancient oriental ideas into a modern abstract interpretation. The “Eternal Garden”, “Passing through the Great Threshold”, “The Bright Side”, “Vitality” and “Ascendence of Samantha” series are the nexus of Hsiao Chin’s artistic career in the 1990s, it explores questions of eternity and the infinite sublimation of life, transforming the artist’s inner spirit into compelling yet meditative abstract compositions that transcend culture and build upon his spiritual quest for ascendence.