Overturn the Centre

Overturn the Centre offers an insight into the life and inner thoughts of Liu Kuo-sung, one of the most important artists in the history of Chinese art. Liu is a pioneering figure in the global discourse of modern and contemporary ink painting, a fierce advocate for the modernisation of Chinese painting and a seminal innovator who charted the course of the modernist avant-garde in Taiwan. This volume is a record of interviews conducted over several months in Taiwan in 2021, in which Liu Kuo-sung and Rudy Tseng discussed Chinese painting, global modernism, Taiwan’s critical role in developments, and the story of Liu Kuo-sung’s life. It combines art theory with informal observations on a successful life of art, teaching and global travel. Liu Kuo-sung was born in China in 1932 and settled in Taiwan in 1949. He co-founded the Fifth Moon Group in 1956, a major force in the modernisation of Chinese painting. He has received many awards and has held more than 130 solo exhibitions worldwide. Rudy Tseng has taught at postgraduate level in media and communications in Taiwan, and serves on committees at the Tate, the Singapore Art Museum and the Mori Art Museum.