May 7, 2022 - July 28, 2022

The Changes of Taiwan's Landscape- Chen Zong Ho’s Watercolor Depictions of Taiwan Scenery         
Central Library | 1st Floor Art Gallery 

500 McKinney St., 77002 | 832-393-1313

The Houston Public Library celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and the 61st anniversary of the Houston-Taipei Sister Cities relationship with an exhibition of Chen Zong Ho’s watercolor paintings of Taiwan. Chen Zong Ho’s watercolor works depict the beautiful scenery, valuable history, and changing landscape of Taiwan from the 1970s to the 2000s.

Chen Zong Ho traveled around Taiwan, capturing the beauty of his country in multiple styles and tones of colors in his paintings. In addition to painting famous scenic spots and historical sites, Chen was passionate about painting people’s daily lives as well as the process of urbanization in the countryside during Taiwan’s economic take-off period. He was good at finding the beauty in chaos: muddy rural areas, dirty small alleys, messy but vibrant docks and ships, traditional food markets and night markets, and more.

By experiencing the constant changes of the era and cultural conflicts, Chen’s paintings reflect a unique personal style that integrated multiple arts and cultures of Taiwan, Japan, and the United States. With the influence of his predecessors and the creation of his own style, Chen Zong Ho left a stunning chapter in the developing lineage of Taiwanese watercolor paintings.

Exhibit is free and open to the public.

Exhibit dates are subject to change.

About the Artist

Chen Zong Ho (1928-2005) was one of the first generations in Taiwan to complete a domestic university art education. In 1950 he was the valedictorian of the first graduating class of the Department of Fine Arts, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). Chen was known for his traditional Western-style watercolor techniques, influenced by Impressionism and Fauvism.

His work is in many notable collections, including the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Fine Arts, and Marubeni Japanese Corporation Taipei Branch.

For more information about Chen Zong Ho and his art, please visit czhgallery.com.

This exhibition is generously supported by:

City of Houston
Houston Public Library
The African American Library at the Gregory School
The John L. Nau III Collection of Texas Art

This exhibit was also made possible through the generosity of the Houston Public Library Foundation.