/ Art is Life in Practice

Shao Yung-Tien (S.Y.T.) (1967-) was born in Alian District in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Upon graduating from National Fongshan Senior Commercial & Industrial Vocational School (FSVS) in 1985, he worked as a mold maker apprentice with a daily salary of NT$150. In 1987, the year after the lifting of Martial Law in Taiwan, Shao published his first book- Days of Youth, which tells the story of a young fellow who left his hometown with dreams for a metropolis. Seeing sky-high buildings for the first time as he walked into the modern era, he bore in mind the diligence and the spirit of hard work back in 1950s Taiwan. Having worked in the labor-intensive farming sector for years as a child, along with near-death experience with much suffering, Shao marked “no overjoy in life, no fear in death” as his motto at a young age. In addition, with the experience of having a family member who was critically ill but was left hanging outside the hospital, he made up his mind to never be at others’ mercy. In Shao’s paintings, his resilience and candidness are embodied through explosive paint splatters, with each color standing out in its own way.

Shao started his business in 1993 and closed down in two years, before another comeback in 1997, which was hit by the Asian Financial Crisis. Starting from 1997 to 2024, there has been quite a bumpy road with the Financial Crisis, SARS outbreak, the global financial crisis (GFC), the Anti-extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement in Hong Kong, the COVID-19 pandemic, and armed conflicts worldwide. Despite the adversities, Shao managed to build businesses of a wide array including those in construction, accommodation, catering, art, and construction and management of smart commercial buildings. There have also been publications including Days of Youth, Being Kind, Maturity, Vitality, Wild Child, Speak Straightforwardly, Letters to Comrades, and Letters to Comrades II: Dark Night Expedition. On Children’s Day in 2019, Shao started painting for the first time; to some, it might seem like an amateur starting midway, but it in fact shows a person’s self-liberation in seeking spiritual existence and its value.

With an in-depth look of Shao’s life history from 1967 to the present, one can see that he has been following one value that has never changed, whether it is starting a business or creating an art piece, that is, observing what has been going on in the society and starting groundbreaking businesses that are worthy of the world as well as one’s own conscience; more importantly, sowing seeds for the future and giving back to the community, so that all shall live long and prosper. One might be wondering how a low-born farmhand in poverty was motivated to build everything from scratch in different fields over different stages of life, despite the risk of going back to square one over and over again. Shao’s mindset thrives in an absolutely artistic way, which itself is the ultimate practice of art, that said, when we think of Little Sun by Olafur Eliasson or the Foau Foundation by Mariko Mori, these projects demonstrate how artists bring changes to society through their beliefs. In that sense, the elements of an artist’s creative force introduced to one person more is giving the power of making changes to so many more.

One thing about Shao that is very different from most artists that people are familiar with, regarding the progress in creation, is that his journey of creation began amid the process of starting his businesses, with his faith taking form along the way, before he devoted himself into visual creation due to serendipity. It is the fires of his youth that forge the dazzling art pieces in such an amazingly short period of time. Should one take a closer look at his works, the styles of creation that shift in a non-linear path over five years is no magic, but only basics that require absolute confidence in what he sets his mind to. In other words, before trying to understand the artist’s language for creation, one must learn about his life journey.

Infinite Voyage features Shao’s 57 years of life, with the essence of 243 pieces spanning over a five-year time, and viewers will see various styles from each period beginning in 2019. Through the exhibition seven areas: ‘Liberating Consciousness’, ‘Ongoing Faith’, ‘Stories on Canvas’, ‘One eye sees, another eye feels’, ‘The Faith Blossom on Snow’, ‘The Path of Painting’, and ‘Bonding with Nature’, coupled with the use of new media art as a medium, one can see the context of creation for each piece and an intense touch of personal style.

Titled “Infinite Voyage,” the exhibition presents the joy of the artist upon discovering different perceptions as he tried out various styles and, at some point, had the spiritual enlightenment at a certain moment. This harmony can not only be found in the universe and all things, but also in the impermanence and splendor in the secular world. With the same idea, art can be an earthly practice, which not only affects a certain field but also expands it.