 |
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Dr. T.F. Chen is a master artist with an historic vision and
cultural mission, who has dedicated his life to creating artwork
reflecting the achievements of humanity and inspiring worldwide
cultural harmony and progress. Chen grew up in rural Taiwan
at a time when arts and culture were scarce and suppressed
by martial law. Because of an inner spiritual richness, fostered
by an education in art, Chen never felt poor or unhappy due
to the lack of material possession or under the difficult
circumstances which he lived.
Dr. Chen is also a painter, art historian, writer, philosopher,
visionary, and founder of the T.F. Chen Arts For Humanity
Foundation as well as his own Cultural Center in SoHo, NYC.
In 2001, he was honored with the Global Tolerance Award from
the Friends of the United Nations and designated a Cultural
Ambassador for Tolerance and Peace, for his lifetime of work
dedicated to peace and for his art of multiculturalism.
Renowned for his artistic style, philosophical visions, and
honorable character, Dr. Chen is a true Renaissance man who
embodies the merging of Western and Eastern Cultures. Born
in Taiwan, Chen was awarded a scholarship in 1963 from the
French government to study in Paris. He lived there for twelve
years, earning his M.A. in French Contemporary Literature
and Ph. D in Art History from Univ. of Paris (La Sorbonne),
while simultaneously studying painting at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts
for seven years. In 1969, Dr. Chen established "Five-Dimensional
World Culture" in theory and initiated his signature
style of "Neo-Iconography" (Neo-I) in art.
Neo-Iconography is a daring new form of communication. It
appropriates familiar "icons" from East and West,
past and present, different cultures and throughout human
and art history - to create a new painting with a new meaning.
Like a passionate art collector, Dr. Chen assembles images
he treasures and places them together in contexts that defy
time, space, and cultural barriers; resulting in a stunning,
eclectic composition.
Recognized as "one of the twenty most influential artists
in the world today" (Art Critic, Dr. Thomas McEvilley),
Dr. Chen has conducted more than 200 one-man exhibitions world-wide.
He has published over 20 books in English, Chinese and French
regarding his art and theories; and is frequently invited
to lecture and exhibit around the globe. Chen's works are
featured in over 200 textbooks (including art history textbooks
such as Arts & Ideas ), countless articles, newspapers,
etc.; and are collected widely both privately and publicly.
|
 |
A Note
from the Founder
My
wife Lucia and I were born in Taiwan during Japanese colonization
and war in the 1940's. It was the so-called "Cultural
Desert" - a time when arts and culture were scarce and
suppressed by martial law. As a young boy, I remember memorizing
every worn page of the fifty art books that a local dentist
had smuggled in from Japan. At 14 years old, I decided to
be an artist and to go to Paris to become a great painter.
I consumed all the fine art, literature and music that I could
get in that impoverished time, and fed my soul with their
beauty. I made my friends among those creative minds who had
left us all a legacy of their masterpieces. Though everyone
in Taiwan was extremely poor materially at that time, I felt
that the arts made me very rich. In fact, I was always very
happy as I nurtured myself with these masterpieces and with
the joy that came from my own painting and writing. I believe
that immersing myself in even the little bit of art that was
available to us at that time, made me into a passionate, intelligent,
creative man with a great love for our Humanity and our world.
In 1969, upon seeing the American astronauts land on
the moon, I felt that we, as humankind, were entering into
a new era, an Age of Love. I felt that the cultural ecology
of the whole world was shifting from divergence to convergence,
and that the whole world was becoming "one." And
this "oneness," this world family has been blessed
by the Arts. Our world culture is enriched by the creations
of artists of all races, from all continents, of all times
and space, in all media. I then established my view of "Five-Dimensional
World Culture" (with Soul as the fifth dimension),
and also initiated my art style of "Neo-Iconography"
to represent this new "Global Village" we live
in.
I became an American citizen in 1983. With a mix of
Asian, European, and American influences, I became conscious
of being a "World Citizen," an increasing phenomenon
among our society today. I also became conscious that in
our age of ever-increasing "hardware" and "software,"
we must ensure that we equally cultivate a rich foundation
of "SOULWARE" - for our children to grow into.
The evolution and well-being of humanity depend upon this.
My beloved wife Lucia and I have dedicated our lives
to promoting Art and Culture. We have always viewed the
Arts as a powerful vehicle towards enriching our individual
souls, shaping our good character, and advancing this Global
Culture of Peace.
We
invite you to join us in adding
your SOULWARE to our new Age of Love!
|
|
