World-renowned artist Chen Cheng-Hsiung, considered the "godfather" of abstract art in Taiwan Province, will hold a solo exhibition at the National Museum of China in Beijing from August 27 to September 5.

A review of Chen's 50 years of artistic creation, the exhibition reflects the extension of the national museum's role. The museum will not only display items of cultural heritage, but also explore contemporary and avant-garde art in China, said Huang Chen, its spokesman. Born in 1935 in Taipei, Chen has contributed greatly to the introduction and development of modern art in the island province. He is a founder of the Modern Painting Society on the island.

A permanent member of the Royal Academy of Arts in the United Kingdom, he is one of the three Chinese artists who regularly attend the prestigious May Salon in Paris (the other two being Zao Wou-Ki and Chu Teh-chun). Chen has attended numerous important exhibitions throughout the world, and his works are collected by museums worldwide. His success in international art circles has encouraged many Chinese artists.

The artist developed a style in his abstract works that borrowed from the folk art of Taiwan's Gaoshan ethnic group.

He has also made breakthroughs in recent works, expressing individual feelings in the digital age with simple symbols such as "1" and "0" in his paintings. The works won him the Lorenzo Maqnifico Medal and the Life Achievement Prize in the prestigious Florence Contemporary Art Biennale in 1999 and 2001.

(China Daily August 18, 2003)