Interview with Chin-Cheng Hung by Adam P. Kennedy
Where were you born and raised?
I was born and raised in Keelung, Taiwan.
Where are you living now?
Atlanta, GA
When did you start painting?
I started painting when I was 12.
Was there someone or something that inspired you to paint? Did painting come naturally?
I don't remember how I was inspired to paint. For some reason, I displayed very strong interest of writing Chinese calligraphy and drawing figures when I was 9 years old. So I guess painting did come naturally for me. My Master, a well-known Chinese artist in Taiwan, Mr. Ching-Shen Tao opened my eyes to Chinese painting and calligraphy when I was 12. I have studied art, especially Chinese painting and calligraphy with him for three years.
Did you take a lot of art classes?
I have taken a lot of art classes since middle school, including earning art degrees in Painting from undergraduate school (Fu Hsing Kang College, Taipei, Taiwan) and graduate schools (Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA).
You do amazing realistic portraits have you always painted in such a realistic manner?
I have mostly painted figures in realistic style except doing Chinese painting, in which, sometimes, would be more stylized and abstract.
The style of your pieces such as "Betrayal", "Besiege" and "Riding the Waves" show your figures in motion, these are different from your portraits and are stunning, what is your inspiration in creating these?
I did these pieces for my *Wu Xia series.
*Please go to the end of the interview to find out more about Cheng-Hung's Wu Xia series.
How long have you been painting with pastel's? Is this your main painting medium or do you work with other painting media?
I have painting with pastels since 1998; it has become my main painting medium since then.
What is the largest painting you’ve done?
Besides doing some big mural paintings in the past (48' x 8' being the largest, a group project painted 15 years ago in Taiwan for a commission), the largest pastel painting I have done is 39" x 72".
How long typically does it take for you to paint one of your pieces?
It depends, from one week to a little bit more than a year.
How do you balance the business end of painting with the creative?
I would never consider and followed the art market while creating my work.
Who are your favorite painters, either current or deceased?
My favorite painters are Jacques-Louis David (1748 - 1825) and Mark Rothko (1903 - 1970).
What advice would you give to young artists?
Work hard and have faith in yourself. "Be a good thinker before becoming a good artist".
Do you think that today’s preteens, teens are exposed enough to the world of art?
Never enough!
Finally, is there any topic that you would like to comment on?
I love teaching, which would remind me to learn and improve myself all the time.
Wu Xia
Wu Xia (pronounced as woo shia), which conveys the complicated literary spirit and philosophical message of Chinese traditional Wu Xia novels, is the Chinese concept of chivalry in fighting. It fulfills people’s fantasy of being a Kong Fu master or a supernatural hero, who can walk on water, tiptoe on the treetop, fly in the air, and slice his or her opponent into a thousand silvers with breathtaking elegance.
The Chinese history is the history of five thousand years. While so many Chinese youths were struggling with history lessons at school, Wu Xia movies and novels came to entertain. They were dramatized closely with Chinese ancient history by the Wu Xia novelists, who created new stories and gave new birth to so many ancient mysteries. Wu Xia has become popular culture of the Chinese. Moreover, Wu Xia movies have been introduced to western audiences.
The technology of the new millennium has brought the genre of Wu Xia movies into a new level. The images of flying swordplay and Chi Kong have become visible and too real to be true. People are fascinated by the bright and dazzling visual effect, as well as the meditative and contemplative quality of these films. Some of the film's ideas and symbolism won't resonate with viewers. There are Eastern philosophies at work, as well as a respect for Chinese history, whose full import a non-Chinese audience can only guess at.
The series of Wu Xia indicates the vision of a Chinese artist, who has been deeply falling in love with Wu Xia movies since his childhood. Hung would like to convey his idolum of Wu Xia imagery through these vivid pastel paintings. “Seeing is believing…”