Realized through Culture

As fine art and design evolved through history, converging across the dimensions of "Rooted in the Land," "Grounded in the People," "Purposed in Function," and "Refined in Form," they became a shared culture woven into the fabric of society, giving works a cultural value distinctly Taiwanese. This unit, "Realized through Culture," focuses on how design was applied to cultural products and activities encompassing literature, art, music, film, dance, theatre, and architecture. Through artistic form and design practice, these were shaped and promoted, in service of purposeful, intentional design. Among all the ways in which the development of Taiwanese artistic design has expressed cultural value, none is more telling than the book design of published works: Minzoku Taiwan (Folklore Taiwan), for instance, or the many limited-edition publications produced through the collaboration of Nishikawa Mitsuru (1908–1999), Tateishi Tetsuomi (1905–1980), and Miyata Yataro (1906–1968) — works of such artistry that they remain, to this day, treasured cultural assets of Taiwan.

On display in this unit are depictions of Taiwanese scenery painted during brief visits by Foujita Tsuguharu (1886–1968) and Kawashima Riichiro (1886–1971), alongside the limited-edition publications on Taiwanese customs produced through the collaboration of Nishikawa Mitsuru, Tateishi Tetsuomi, and Miyata Yataro — works that represent a perfect union of art and design, and enduring cultural assets of Taiwan. Chen Cheng-po (1895–1947) employed a playful frog motif in his cover design for Ruisui, the magazine of the Chiayi Agricultural School, as well as in the poster for the second Tai-Yang Art Exhibition.

Liao Wei-lin (1922–2011), Yuyu Yang (1926–1997), and Gau Shan-lan (1934–) shaped the cultural landscape of Taiwanese book and magazine publishing. In the 1960s, the cover designs by Lung Sih-Liang (1937–2012) for Wen Hsing and Modern Literature magazines, and by Huang Hua-Cheng (1935–1996) for Theater magazine, ushered in a new era of modern design in Taiwan. The 1964 Chinese Children's Book Series, published by the Taiwan Provincial Department of Education, brought together artists including Yen Shui-long, Lee Tsai-chien (1928–), Fong Chung-ray (1933–2024), Tzeng Mou-shian (1936–), Huang Chang-huei (1938–2002), Zhao Guo-zong (1940–), Su Hsin-tien (1940–), and Tsao Chun-yen (1941–) to illustrate children's picture books, laying an important cornerstone in the cultural development of Taiwan.