Huang Tushui
Taiwan, 1895-1930
Artist's works
Artist Profile
Calf
Taiwan Buffalos
Introduction and Experience
Huang Tu-Shui (1895–1930, Taiwan) is regarded as the pioneer of modern Taiwanese sculpture and is widely honored as the “Father of Taiwanese Sculpture.” Born in Taipei during the Japanese colonial period, he became the first Taiwanese artist to receive formal artistic training in Japan and the first to be selected for the prestigious Imperial Art Exhibition (Teiten), marking a significant milestone in Taiwanese art history.
After entering the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in 1915, Huang developed a versatile sculptural practice spanning wood carving, modeling, stone carving, and bronze casting. While influenced by modern Western sculpture, he remained deeply committed to the landscapes, people, and cultural spirit of Taiwan, integrating local subjects with Western sculptural forms to create a distinctly modern visual language rooted in Taiwanese identity.
His major works include Daughter of Nectar, Statue of Shakyamuni Emerging, and Taiwan Buffaloes. Today, both Daughter of Nectar and Taiwan Buffaloes have been designated as National Treasures of Taiwan. Although Huang died prematurely at the age of thirty-five, his pioneering vision laid the foundation for modern sculpture in Taiwan, and his legacy continues to resonate through its enduring artistic and cultural significance.
Exhibitions and Awards
Selected Exhibitions
Group Exhibitions
2025
Huang Tu-Shui 130: The Life Chronicle of Master Tushui —Treasure Hill International Artist Village, Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei Taiping Elementary School Museum Grand Opening Exhibition: Huang Tushui and the Children —Taiping Elementary School Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
2024
Huang Tushui and His Era: Taiwan's First Western Sculptor and Tokyo Fine Arts School in the Early 20th Century —The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan
2023
The Soil of Taiwan, The Water of Freedom: The Resurrection of Huang Tushui’s Artistic Life Special Exhibition— National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMOFA), Taichung, Taiwan
2021 – 2022
L' webe de l'art moderne Taïwanais (The Light — The Enlightenment and Self-Awareness of Taiwanese Culture) —MoNTUE (Museum of National Taipei University of Education), Taipei / Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2020
The Immortal Youth: Re-discovering Taiwanese Art Special Exhibition —MoNTUE (Museum of National Taipei University of Education), Taipei, Taiwan
1920 – 1924
Imperial Art Exhibition (Teiten)—Tokyo, Japan
Collections
Public and Institutional Collections
- Bust of a Girl —Taiping Elementary School Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
- Taiwan Buffaloes —Taipei Zhongshan Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
- Daughter of Nectar —National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMOFA), Taichung, Taiwan
- Yan Guo-Nian —Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), Taipei, Taiwan
- Nude with Tied Hair —Dong Men Art Museum, Tainan, Taiwan
- Mother and Child —East Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
Private Collections
- Works are held in private collections in Taiwan and Japan.