“Rhythm of Life on the High Plateau” Liu Yun-sheng 2026 Collection Exhibition
6-January-2026
12-February-2026
"I no longer need to prove what I can paint; I only care whether I can continue painting for them." — Liu Yunsheng
In the global arena of watercolor art, Liu Yunsheng, now in his nineties, continues to paint with his very life.
He once spoke to me about the forty years he spent in the regions of Sichuan, Xikang, and Tibet. During those decades, he accumulated a lifelong treasury of inexhaustible inspiration—50,000 precious images. These photographs are not merely records of his youth and memories, but the vessel of his entire existence. He is more than a painter; he is a chronicler of ethnic minority cultures, a witness and an inheritor of the humanity and landscapes of that high wilderness.
I once leafed through the vast digital archives organized by his assistant. The content was all-encompassing, reminiscent of a sentinel who has long stood guard, silently blessing the land. Yet, among these files, the most frequent subjects were children.
Master Liu once said: "A portrait of a child is not just a depiction of a person, but a depiction of humanity."
A child’s face has yet to be molded by social roles; they have not learned to perform emotions, nor do they seek to appease the observer’s expectations. For this reason, the child becomes the most honest subject, the one that most easily reflects the artist’s inner heart.
The children in Liu Yunsheng’s paintings are often quiet and introspective. Their gaze wanders between a smile and contemplation, existing in a state not yet rushed by the world.
In these works, watercolor is no longer just a display of technique, but a "restrained" way of seeing. The flow of pigment, the use of negative space, and the control of layers all serve to preserve emotion and suspend time. What appears on the canvas is not the superficiality of childhood playfulness, but the purity and vulnerability of humanity at its origin.
These portraits are both a gaze upon the children and a reflection by the artist on his original creative intent. In a contemporary art environment dominated by competition and speed, Liu Yunsheng consistently chooses to slow down, returning to the most essential form of observation—to see the human being before they are defined.
This 2025 Year-End New Release is significant not only in presenting new works but as a tribute to Liu Yunsheng’s lifelong passion for art and his tireless creative spirit. At the same time, it looks back once more at his unwavering original intention—to continue giving voice to the simple and honest souls of the ethnic minorities.
Curator Lungkai Wang KAI’S Gallery
Exhibition Dates:
January 6th (Tue.) – February 12th (Thu.), 2026
Opening Hours:
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM / 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Closed on Sundays and Mondays)
Venue:
KAI'S Gallery, 1st Floor, No. 7, Lane 16, Songjiang Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City