Excerpt from Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts
Chen Ruey-fu (陳瑞福): Born in 1935 in Liou-chiou Township of Pingtong County (小琉球, Lamay Island), Chen had built a close tie with the ocean since his childhood. Growing up in a fishing village, he acquired a lot of first-hand knowledge and experiences about fisherman life from his family members and neighbors. During his adolescence, he was inspired by Liu Chi-hsiang in the study of painting and then thanks to instructions from other masters such as Yan Shui-long, Yang Shan-lang and Liao Ji-chun, he further advanced in his command of professional knowledge and skills.
Chen always preferred to paint the ocean at the early stage of his creation. He symbolically conquered the ocean by capturing every face of its on canvas—calm and peaceful in mild weather, turbulent with surging waves in gales, or dazzling in the reflected sunset glow. The simplicity and plainness unique in southern Taiwan is pervasive in his early works. Latter, as he turned sixty and learned more about life, he changed his focus from the ocean to the life of fishermen, depicting scenes of them busy preparing for setting off to bring home a big catch, of the bustling fish market and of boats resting in the harbor. During this period time, his works, except a few landscapes painted in bright colors to represent the radiant sunlight, were painted mainly in dusk colors to arouse deeper feelings and thoughts among viewers.
Fish Market by Chen Ruey-fu
This work depicts the transaction between a fishmonger and his customers. The surrounding customers are carefully arranged in the composition to accentuate the fishmonger fully concentrating on what he is doing. Detailed attention is also attached to the depiction of the clothing and accessories of the women in the work to faithfully represent the scene of a real fish market in Taiwan. Midtone colors are applied to reinforce the image of the market as a poorly lit and damp place just as most of the others in Taiwan. The ground, stand and the background are also carefully painted to vividly portray the details in the market. With keen observation, subtle perception and mastery of painting skills, Chen expressed his deep attachment to the ocean, the surrounding environment and fishermen in his works.
* 藝文過客: 陳瑞福 by 黃義永藝文館
