• 2024-10-05

On the morning of May 30, 2024, the National Central Library held the opening ceremony for the exhibition “Reexamining Taiwan Art History and Saluting Art in Taiwan: The Donation of Lion Art and Hsien-wen Li’s Paintings.” Lion Art Founder Hsien-wen Li donated a complete set of Lion Art’s 307 monthly issues, as well as over 400 books published by Lion Book Company and 20 of Mr. Li’s portraits of artists in Taiwan. In putting on this exhibition, NCL let attendees see the development and the publications of what was originally the Lion Art Monthly Agency, then later became the Lion Book Company. Included were many innovative and unique first-hand historical materials valuable to the history of art in Taiwan. The exhibition ran from May 30 to August 15.

During Director-General Han-Ching Wang’s remarks, she stated that Lion Art Monthly and the books it published gave her a lot of beautifully colorful memories. She also stated that the complete set of publications Lion Art donated, as well as the screen prints and art reference room collection, will be archived in the southern branch of the National Central Library, which is scheduled to be completed in 2026. Mr. Li’s original paintings and descriptions will be archived in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment. They will also be digitized and added to NCL’s Contemporary Celebrities’ Manuscripts database. This will not only make them accessible no matter where one is on the globe, but also extend their influence worldwide. Because of this, the National Central Library and Lion Art firmly believe that “Art in Taiwan has only begun! It has not ended.”

During his remarks, Mr. Li stated that in August 2023 Lion Art posted a short 138-character article on its Facebook page that garnered a surprising number of responses: “No regrets. Lion Art has contributed what it can to the development of art in Taiwan.” During this process, the Lion Book Company was blessed to receive public interest and support. Former NCL Director-General Shu-hsien Tseng was also one of the first to express interest in the company and in archiving its publications. She wanted the torch of art education in Taiwan to be passed on through the National Central Library’s archival of these materials. Mr. Li also discussed the difficulties he faced in running Lion Art Monthly and the Lion Book Company. However, with the support of many authors, he was able to compose an indelible chapter in the history of art in Taiwan. He spent around five years painting the portraits of older artists, during which he felt continuously buoyed up by their encouragement. He once opined that he was a simpleton, running a business that wasn’t making any money. However, the artist San-lang Yang once told him, “If this society is going to progress, then we need more of this kind of simpleton to make it happen!” Mr. Li choked up at one point in his speech, which moved those present by his sincere earnestness.