共生之華—日本美術璀璨時代與臺灣之交會
Symbiotic Splendor – Art Encounters Across Japan and Taiwan
Date: 2026/06/09 Tue.－2026/09/20 Sun.
Venue: NTNU Art Museum, Gallery 1, Gallery 2, and Gallery 2+
(No. 129, Sec. 1, Heping E. Rd., Da’an Dist., Taipei City, Heping Campus II)
Advisor: The Humanities and Social Sciences Benchmark Program, Ministry of Education
Organizer: National Taiwan Normal University
Executor: NTNU Art Museum
In the turbulent era from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century, modern Japanese art rose rapidly under the momentum of social transformation and cultural openness. Tradition and modernity intertwined while East and West converged, shaping an artistic field brimming with experimental spirit and creative energy. With the establishment of official exhibition systems like Bunten (文展; Monbushō Bijutsu Tenrankai, 1907–1918) and Teiten (帝展; Teikoku Bijutsu Tenrankai, 1919–1935), and the maturation of art education in Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan gradually became a pivotal center for modern East Asian art, nurturing a brilliant era of artists.
Within this historical context, Taiwan’s pioneer artists entered the art world in Japan. They traveled across the sea to study, participate in exhibitions, and interact with the Japanese art community. Through competition and exchange, they refined their techniques, broadened their horizons, and gradually constructed their own artistic languages. This journey not only shaped their creative identities but also opened opportunities for the development of art in Taiwan.
This exhibition focuses on modern Japanese artworks, looking back at that vibrant and multifaceted cultural scene. Symbiotic Splendor invites viewers to sense and experience the beauty of Japanese art. Through the classic works of Japanese masters in painting, sculpture, and craft, we re-examine the aesthetic thoughts, craftsmanship, and visual refinement that built the foundation of this era and influenced cross-regional artistic creation.
Artistic inheritance is never a linear continuation; it is an ecological symbiotic relationship. Looking at the development of post-war Taiwanese art, if we see the first generation of Taiwanese artists who studied in Japan as flowers blooming in the wind, then the Japanese masters were the branches that supported them. The cultural heritage spanning from Edo (江戶) to Showa (昭和), along with the cultural spirit of both Taiwan and Japan, served as the nurturing soil. The brilliance of the flower lies not only in its own blooming but in the entire environment upon which it depends.
Symbiotic Splendor is more than a gaze into the past; it is an invitation to trace back to the source. We hope that within the flowing light of art, viewers can look through the threads of form and style to touch the deepest roots of aesthetics—to see how beauty was passed through the fingertips of masters and apprentices, and how it transformed into resilient and unique lives through the friction of different lands.
Only when we understand the deep devotion of this soil can we hear the most moving echo in the history of Taiwanese art at the moment of full bloom: it was never an accident, but a certainty tempered by time.