Study for Plants I

作品賞析

Artist Chang San-Hsueh, who loves ferns, has been making them a theme of his oil-on-canvas works since 2022. In his Study for Plants I, he depicted one of Taiwan’s native species of ferns, Davallia solida. The portrait-like composition and large white background allow the viewer to focus visually on the plant. Chang did not paint using the realism of a biological illustration album, but used freer, more casual brushstrokes to outline the fern’s characteristics, building up its details and light contrasts with the oil. Taiwan is known as the “Kingdom of Ferns,” and its more than 600 fern species makes it a paradise for studying and appreciating them. In recent years, Chang has collected more than a hundred fern samples from around the world. Watering them on his balcony and observing them is a daily routine, and they provide an abundant source of creative inspiration for him.