Taiwanese Art Treasures Preserved Overseas--The Homecoming Exhibition of the Sun Ten Collection at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in Taichung Taiwan

This is a wonderful story about a family dedicated to art collection. Holding fast to the conviction that “medicine heals the body; culture nurtures the soul,” entrepreneur Dr. Hsu Hong-Yen independently devoted a lifetime to supporting artists’ creative practice and preserved a large quantity of artworks at a time when state-run modern art museums were still wanting in Taiwan. After his demise, his wife continued his legacy by founding the Sun Ten Museum where these artists’ works were exhibited and promoted. To honor Dr. Hsu’s final wish, his family eventually donated his entire collection to Taiwan at the time when Taiwan’s prospects are improving. Originally belonging to this island, these pieces of work (more than 600 in total) will be integral to the reconstruction of Taiwanese art history.

The Hsu family’s devotion coincided with former Minister Cheng Li-Chiun’s manifesto pledge on “reconstructing Taiwanese art history.” Followed by Minister Lee Yung-Te’s support, the public and private sectors cooperated closely for a common purpose, surmounted all difficulties, and finally accomplished the great achievement of half-century cultural perpetuation with concerted efforts.

From the standpoint of Dr. Hsu as a collector-donor, the homecoming exhibition of the Sun Ten collection manifests the horizons and zeal of this liberal, ambitious art aficionado. The exhibition covers a total of 195 artists born in the century between 1871 and 1989. Dr. Hsu not only knew and supported these artists, but also collected their works all his life.
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Organized chronologically and divided into four main sections, this exhibition features at least one piece of work by each artist.

National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts