Artwork Appreciation
When the artist Chan Wen-Fu moved to Tainan, he was deeply attracted by the temple culture, architecture, and landscape of southern Taiwan. Through video recording and image reconstruction, he captures the memories and feelings of southern Taiwan. “Paying Tribute to Gods” is a series of works by Chan documenting the cultural phenomena surrounding the jiao ritual in Tainan. During the ritual, there are often colorful lanterns and decorations, the building of archways at intersections, floats, singing and dancing parades, tables set with banquets, and other festivities. This group of works focus on the theme of “singing and dancing.” The artist takes full-length portraits of dancers, singers, hosts, and other performers, then matches their exaggerated body movements and colorful costumes with trees and flowers common in Taiwan. The idea for the oval frames comes from the wreaths that accompany the festivals. Chan Wen-Fu puts a square red seal in the lower left corner of each piece in order to balance the composition and serve as a mark of his personal work.