Huang Tu-shui (; 1895–1930) was a pioneer of modern sculptor in Taiwan. From his youth, Huang was familiar with the traditional carving of Taiwan, and was influenced by modern Western styles during his studies in Tokyo. These include the works that were included in the Japanese Imperial Exhibition of 1922, such as ''Mountain Child Playing Flute''.

Biography

Huang was born on 3 July 1895 in Mengjia (a.k.a. Manka), Taipei City, now known as Wanhua, and his father was a rickshaw repairman. Huang's eldest brother had already died by the time he was born. Huang's elder surviving brother, took up their father's trade, and inspired young Huang to sculpt. Huang's father died when Huang was twelve, and the family moved to

Dadaocheng Dadaocheng is an area in Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan. It was also known as Twatutia (a transliteration of the Taiwanese Hokkien ''Tōa-tiū-tiâⁿ''), Daitōtei during Japanese rule, and Tataocheng ( Mandarin) during the Kuomintang era. ...

. He was a student at Da Daocheng Elementary School, now called Taiping Elementary School. Huang was trained in Tokyo, and later worked there, when Taiwan was part of the

Japanese Empire The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent forma ...

. During Huang's time in Japan, he was mentored by sculptor

Fumio Asakura was a Western-style Japanese sculptor, known as the father of modern Japanese sculpture and referred to as the "Rodin of Japan".Graham, Patricia J. ''Faith and Power in Japanese Buddhist Art, 1600-2005''. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2 ...

. Six months after graduating from school, he was sponsored by a Taiwan Governor-General official to study carving at the

Tokyo School of Fine Arts or is the most prestigious art school in Japan. Located in Ueno Park, it also has facilities in Toride, Ibaraki, Yokohama, Kanagawa, and Kitasenju and Adachi, Tokyo. The university has trained renowned artists in the fields of painting, sculp ...

. He was the first Taiwanese student to attend the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, and also the first Taiwanese artist to be participate in the . He submitted the sculpture '' (Bust of a) Girl'' into the exhibition, and later donated the work to Taiping Elementary School in Taipei. During the last decade of his life, the focus of his works shifted more and more to local Taiwanese motifs, with Huang showing a particular taste for depicting water buffalo, a symbol of rural Taiwan. These works blended modern Western style with traditional Chinese elements. He died on 26 December 1930 in Japan, at the age of 36, after contracting

peritonitis Peritonitis is inflammation of the localized or generalized peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and cover of the abdominal organs. Symptoms may include severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever, or weight loss. One part or ...

. Huang is best known for his mural ''South Land'', also known as ''Water Buffalo'', which was completed just before his death. The work is on permanent display at

Zhongshan Hall Zhongshan Hall () is a historical building which originally functioned as the Taipei (Taihoku) City Public Auditorium (public hall). It is located at 98 Yanping South Road in the Ximending neighborhood of Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. In 1 ...

in Taipei, and Taiwanese writer Zhang zhao Xuan has described it as 'a national treasure'.

Selected works

*''Teijiro Yamamoto'' (early work, plaster), a bust of Japanese politician , kept in subject's birthplace,

Sado, Niigata is a Cities of Japan, city located on in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Since 2004, the city has comprised the entire island, although not all of its total area is urbanized. Sado is the sixth largest island of Japan in area following the four Lis ...

. Lent to

National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA; ) is a museum in West District, Taichung, Taiwan. NTMoFA was established in 1988 and is the first and the only national-grade fine arts museum in Taiwan. The major collections are works by Taiwan ...

for restoration and reproduction. A bronze version was made and displayed at Kaohsiung Bridge until it also went to Sado at the end of World War II. *''Li Tieguai'' (李鐵拐; ''Lǐ Tiěguǎi'', 1915), wooden figure depicting the

Li Tieguai Li Tieguai (Standard Chinese, Mandarin: ; lit. "Iron Crutch Li") is a Chinese mythology, Chinese mythological figure and one of the Eight Immortals in the Taoism, Taoist pantheon. He is sometimes described as irascible and ill-tempered, but also b ...

, one of the

Eight Immortals The Eight Immortals () are a group of legendary ''xian'' ("immortals") in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel () that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the "Covert Eight ...

in the

Daoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...

religion. *''The Chubby Playing Boy'' (山童吹笛; ''Shāntóng Chuī Guǎi'', 1918), plaster figure, original lost today. Recorded in the 1920 Imperial Exhibition. *''Water of Immortality'', formerly ''Sweet Dew'' (甘露水; ''Gān Lùshuǐ'', 1919), marble figure. Recorded in the imperial exhibition in 1921. Rediscovered by Lin Mun-lee in 2021, after the work had been lost fifty years previously. *''Bust of a Girl'' (女孩胸像; ''Nǚhái Xiōngxiàng'', 1920), gift of the artist to his old elementary school (Taiping Elementary School in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...

). *''Posing Woman'' (擺姿勢的女人; ''Bǎi Zīshì de Nǚrén'', 1922), original lost today. Recorded in the 1922 Imperial Exhibition. *''Mikadofasan and Sikahirsch'' (帝雉, 華鹿; ''Dìzhì Huálù'', 1922), a gift to the Japanese imperial house, now in the imperial court office of Tokyo. *''In the Country'' (郊外; ''Jiāowài'', 1924), bronze sculpture of a water buffalo with two herons, original lost today. Recorded in the 1924 Imperial Exhibition. *Sculpture created to commemorate Crown Prince

Hirohito Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...

's 1923 visit to Taiwan, given to him as a gift. *''In the South'' (南國的風情; ''Nánguó de Fēngqíng'', 1927). Relief of a water buffalo herd, original lost today. *''The Buddha Comes from the Mountains'' (釋迦出山; ''Shìjiā Chū Shān'', 1927). Commissioned on behalf of Taipei's Lungshan Temple, a wooden sculpture representing

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...

. Destroyed by an air raid during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, later reconstructed using a remaining plaster design. Copies can be also found in the

Taipei Fine Arts Museum The Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM; ) is a museum in Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is in the Taipei Expo Park. The museum first opened on August 8, 1983, at the former site of the United States Taiwan Defense Command. It was the first ...

, the Taipei National History Museum, the

Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts The Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA; ) is located in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It was founded by the Kaohsiung City Government and has been administrated by the Kaohsiung Bureau of Cultural Affairs since 2003. It occupies about a ...

, Taipei's Lungshan Temple,

Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...

's Kaiyuan Temple, and with the artist's family. *''Busy Portrait of Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi and His Wife'' (邇宮邦彥親王夫婦像; ''Ĕr Gōng Bāngyàn Fūfù Xiàng'', 1928). Owned by the Japanese emperor. *''Bust of Tomoe Takagi'' (1929). Commissioned in 1929 by Taiwan Electricity Company executive Hayanosuke Nagata for Donated to

National Changhua Senior High School The National Changhua Senior High School (CHSH; ) is a Taiwanese high school for boys, located in Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan. CHSH was established in 1942 during World War II and the late years of Japanese rule. The school is access ...

in 2015 by the widow of Takagi's grandson. *''The Water Buffalo'' (水牛群像; ''Shuǐniú Qúnxiàng'', 1930). Plaster cast, last and most famous work of the artist. The original is located in Taipei's

, with copies in the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (bronze cast).

References

External links

Image Gallery of Huang Tu-Shui work
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huang, Tu-shui Artists from Taipei Taiwanese sculptors 1895 births 1930 deaths Tokyo School of Fine Arts alumni

Biography

Selected works

See also

References

External links