Kuo Wei-Kuo

Born in 1960, Taipei, Kuo finished his B.F.A. at China Culture University in 1984. He co-founded the Taipei Painting School in 1985 and since then he has participated actively in Taiwan’s modern art movement. In 1994 and 1996, his works were shown in the Biennale at Taipei Fine Arts Museum. In 1998, Kuo co-founded the Hantoo Art Group with former members of Taipei Painting School. Kuo was the first chairman of the Hantoo Art Group.

Seeing from a realistic perspective, the not-so-real self image enables him to lift up the mask of pretense, to take the self seriously, and to reconstruct a truer self-image. In his painting, he represents the true character submerged in the sub-consciousness with manneristic, symbolic, and metaphorical techniques. The poise and expression of the nude self-image, together with the decorative items, constructs a sense of being teasing, ambiguous, helpless and self-mocking, seemingly declaring his own dignity and liberation as well. The paintings also demonstrate the process that he goes depth into his inner self, excavates the sub-consciousness, and pieces together his memory and desire. It visualizes a clearer image of his present and past inner self in front of his eyes. In the paintings, he also plays the “desiring” role which can’t be satisfied in the real world.

Kuo won the first prize of Asian Art Award by Freeman Foundation in 2000. He held several solo exhibitions, such as Diagram of Commotion and Desire 3 and Diagram of Commotion and Desire－Towards a Bright Start From the Deep Forest, Lin & Keng Gallery in 2002 and 2005. Kuo was awarded the eighth Modern Painting Award from Li Zhongsheng Foundation in 2004. Later the same year he finished his M.F.A. at Taipei National University of the Arts. In 2006, he was awarded the fifth Liao Chi-Chun Fund of Taipei Culture Foundation, and held solo exhibition in Taipei Fine Arts Museum. His works are often invited to join the exhibitions in Taiwan and other international art instit

Submitted by Lin & Lin Gallery