Legends in Water-Colour
K.J. Shen & Doris McCarthy
Doris McCarthy
Doris McCarthy is an important artist and a distinguished Canadian. She touches others through her art, through her teaching and through her personal interaction.
McCarthy's contributions to Canadian art are impressive. She has produced an unparalleled body of work, was the first woman President of the Ontario Society of Artists, has taught some of Canada's most distinguished creative people, and continues to be a mentor for many practicing artists. A key figure in this country's art scene since the 1920s, McCarthy has experimented with, and contributed to, major art developments throughout the 20th century.
As an artist and as a teacher, from the mid-1900, McCarthy has traveled the world to photograph and sketch, in search of new stimuli. She has painted every province and territory in Canada and far beyond. Doris McCarthy’s work is represented in Toronto by the Wynick/Tuck Gallery.
K.J. Shen
Professor K.J. Shen was born in the country side in Pingtung, Taiwan and graduated from the graduate program of history of fine arts of Waseda University, Japan.
He has enjoyed sketching outdoors since he was very young. The years of going to school in Japan was a threshold in Prof. Shen’s career as he met a master in water colour in contemporary Japan who also influenced him the most in his creation concepts, Fua Akira. Because Shen was single, he often roamed the country with his teacher during holidays and captured the beautiful scenery through sketches.
As the only non-Japanese member of the largest and the longest-existing Japan Water Colour Association, Prof. Shen favours the rural areas of Southern Taiwan as he always cherishes his strong affection for his hometown. Especially, when the traditional architecture and old farm houses have been fast disappearing in Taiwan today, he insists on keeping them alive in his paintings as a means to preserve that part of history. In spite of his old age, he never complains about the exhaustion caused by this endeavours.
Prof. Shen will join a Canadian legend, Doris McCarthy, in a joint exhibit at the 2008 TaiwanFest. It’s a great opportunity for the audience to enjoy the works of these two legends from two different parts of the world.