Department of Cultural Affairs

By Psyche Cho
Staff Reporter
Photo courtesy of Taipei Fine Art Museum

A full and complete showcase of veteran photographer Huang Tse-hsui’s works capturing faded cultural scenes and landscapes lends viewers a glimpse of a drastically changing Taiwan. 

The exhibition titled The Photographic Journey of a Maverick, Huang Tse-hsui, at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), will run through January 29, 2012, displaying about 300 photos under 18 themes, selected from a creative career spanning seven decades.

Most notable among all these photos are Huang’s 1961 solo exhibition Long Shan Temple and Yaliu-Forsaken Paradise, a 1962 exhibition with Wu Dong-xing. These two collections marked the beginning of thematic photography trends in Taiwan. The two signature series also reflect Huang’s unique style of documentary photography developed during the 1950s and 60s.

Meanwhile, the exhibition also features a series of portraits of celebrities like Teresa Teng, Chang Hsiao-yen, Yang Li-hua, and Louise Tsui, shot during the period 1960 to 1976, which now serve as a record of the popular entertainment culture of the time.

Other themes still include the Tamsui River, aboriginal peoples, Penghu and Hualien, just to name a few, as well as the artist’s late-period color photographs.

The 82-year-old Huang is a versatile artist who also served as an educator, news reporter, columnist, and developer of color lithography printing and color separation technologies. 

Huang contributed greatly to the development of photography in Taiwan. His unique approach and perspective in the discipline gave him the nickname maverick from his peer Chang Tsai.  

Along with the selective photos is also a display of antique cameras, albums, medals and documents owned by Huang. Also, the artist will give a lecture November 5 at the TFAM, providing viewers a chance to personally interact with him.