Yao Jui-chung was a photo-based artist when I met him more than 10 years ago. But I was delighted to know his returning to painting recently, and fell in love at once with his paintings from the 2007-2008 Wonderful series. There is a lot of cynicism and smarcastic humor in the work, reflecting the artist's witty personality.
Yao did the Wonderful series during the Glenfiddich Artists in Residence programme in Scotland. Glenfiddich, the world's favourite single malt Scotch whisky producer, promotes contemporary art with the same determination as producing the spirit. The Artists in Residence programme is already in its seventh year. Yao was there in 2007. Awakened by the Highland landscape, and removed from an environment of constant expectations and strains. In silence, nature called again. He now had all the time in the world, and all his heart and soul in the place to paint.
Wonderful was created with reference to several of his favourite distortionist painters from the Chinese late Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644). Referential to traditional Chinese landscapes, his personal experience never fails to express with new twists and turns. Using mainly drafting pens and Indian handmade paper, the only material he could find in Dufftown, he started to paint with silkworm strokes, Scottish thistle patterns and blank spaces filled with gold foil, all ultimately depicted his own yearning for a secluded place in nature.
Hot springs, mountain climbing, appreciating flowers, playing chess, love making, listening to the waves...over 60 painting were produced and was presented in the exhibition Wonderful in IT Park, Taipei, Taiwan in 2007, and Gallery Leda Fletcher, Switzerland in 2008. The image "Making love in we-go motel" was selected in the GOOD Edition. Interestingly, Yao gave the Chinese title of Wonderful as 忘德賦, which literally means Ode to Immorality.
