News

2008.0618

NTNU Sculptor to Become Highlight of Beijing Olympics

By Vickie Lo Assistant Coordinator Taiwanese artist’s masterpieces will be seen during Beijing Olympics, as National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) Graduate Institute of Design student Arthur Yang (楊奉琛) said today that he is designing a park for displaying sculptures next to the Olympic stadium. As of press time, an enlarged piece of Yang’s father Yuyu Yang (楊英風), who is also a sculptor, has been located and displayed at the scene in Beijing. When approached when he was handing his homework at the institute’s administrative office, Arthur Yang said that the story began when Chinese Nationalist Party former chairman Lien Chan (連戰) visited China in 2006.  Lien decided to give a duplicated “Flowing Sleeves,” a sculpture by Yuyu Yang, to Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) as a gift. Hu immediately said that he would love to request for a permit from the sculptor that this masterpiece can become a public exhibit. Yuyu Yang finished “Flowing Sleeves” in 1970.  The theme of “Flowing Sleeves” features the waving and dancing of the flowing sleeves in a Chinese opera, while Yuyu Yang was also inspired by the imposing landscape of Taroko Gorge.  The sculpture blended the masculinity of the mountains and water with femininity of the flowing sleeves of a Chinese opera. After he returned to Taiwan, Lien commissioned Arthur Yang to duplicate his father’s work to a giant piece of seven meters tall and the job was done last year and the new exhibit was located at the scene by the end of April this year.  The cost of duplicating the sculpture was sponsored by several local enterprises, such as Yulon Group (裕隆集團) and Foxconn Technology Group (鴻海集團). As for Arthur Yang, he was also commissioned to design a park where his father’s sculpture is displayed.  He will name the park “Flowing Sleeves Peace Park” and the entire project is estimated to be completed by October. He said that the park will emerge the concept of Chinese opera and the natural scenery at Taiwan’s world-famous Taroko Gorge to introduce Taiwan’s remarkable art pieces. "This is my responsibility to make the park a place where Taiwanese artists work and voices can be seen and heard,” Arthur Yang said. In addition to being a graduate student at NTNU, Arthur Yang is also the director for Yuyu Yang Foundation and Yuyu Yang Art Museum in Taipei.  He is also the leader for the Sculpture Association of Taiwan, the most important organization for Taiwanese sculptors.  He was also invited as a judge for the 2008 Olympic Landscape Sculpture International Tour Exhibition.