Tsai In-tang
Tsai In-tang was an artist born in Xinpu, Hsinchu, Taiwan, known for his paintings. He was born into a prominent family in the area.
Tsai was born in the wealthy area of Xinpu Street in 1909. He was introduced to oil painting by his teacher, Nanjyo Hiroaki, while attending Hsinchu State High School.
After graduating from high school, he was admitted to Taipei High School, where he received guidance from Shiotsuki Toho. After graduation, he studied at the Economics Department of Kyoto Imperial University. In 1935, he returned to his hometown after graduating from Kyoto Imperial University and began working while maintaining his interest in art.
Career and contributions
In 1946, he became the director of teaching at Taiwan Provincial Hsinchu High School and frequently exchanged ideas with artist Chen Jin. In 1953, he was hired as the director of teaching affairs at Taipei Municipal Datong High School and moved his family there. He began to establish relationships with local artists, especially art teachers at the school, such as Chang Wan-chuan, Wu Dong-tsai, and Chen Te-wang. During that time, he participated in the Taiwan Provincial Fine Arts Exhibition, the Taiyang Art Exhibition, and the Taiwan Provincial Teachers' Art Exhibition. From 1955 to 1960, he and his friends founded the "Sunday Painting Association" in 1965, and later renamed "Century Painting Association" and "Century Art Association". In 1977, he moved from Taiwan to Fremont, California, US.
Artistic style
Tsai In-tang employed watercolor, oil painting, and sketching as his primary creative media, exploring both abstract and representational themes. Throughout his artistic career, he continuously engaged in learning and observation, drawing inspiration from Western art movements such as Impressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism. Through peer exchanges, art society participation, and exhibition involvement, he expanded his experiences and artistic perspectives. In his works, Tsai aimed to showcase experimentation with painting elements like form, color, and lines. Scholar Lai Ming-chu analyzed that in his later years, Tsai's style tended towards freedom, characterized by subjective use of color, flowing and unrestrained lines, vibrant hues, expressing the vitality of landscapes or figures.