Gao Yifeng

Gao Yifeng (1915–1972) was born in Xugou County, Shanxi Province in 1915 and was a pioneering artist who migrated to Taiwan after World War II. During his lifetime, there was relatively little research and discussion about him. However, in the early 21st century, institutions such as the National Museum of Taiwan History and the Taiwan Soka Association organized commemorative exhibitions in his honor. Through the compilation and writing of Taiwan's art history in contemporary times, Gao Yifeng has come to be recognized as one of the significant painters in the post-war Taiwanese ink painting scene.
==Life==
Gao Yifeng was born in Xugou County, Shanxi Province in 1915, into a relatively affluent family with a long history of running a moneylending business. Showing an early interest in painting, he also studied calligraphy, seal carving, and woodcutting. At the age of twenty-three, he enrolled at the Beijing Jinghua College of Fine Arts, majoring in Western painting. However, he later shifted his focus to ink wash painting. Influenced by the themes of Bai Shi Lao Ren (Qi Baishi) and the simple yet expressive brushwork of Ba Da Shan Ren (the Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou), Gao Yifeng developed the foundational elements of his painting style.
In 1940, amid the intensifying conflict of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Gao temporarily halted his studies at the Jinghua College of Fine Arts and returned to Xugou to visit his family. There, he met Zhang Surong, whom he married the following year. In the winter of 1942, Gao joined the Fu Zuoyi forces stationed in Linhe County, Suiyuan Province, to create propaganda paintings for the Three Principles of the People Youth Corps. This journey, lasting eight years, involved producing woodcut prints and profoundly influenced his future artistic endeavors.
In 1950, because his father-in-law, Chang Qingen worked at Military Intelligence Bureau, Gao and his family traveled from Northwest China to Guangdong Province and then separately entered Macau and Hong Kong before finally together escaping to Taiwan. In Taiwan, he initially worked on historical paintings commissioned by the Investigation Bureau, when Gao first came to Taiwan, with political purposes, engaging in intelligence work, but due to a failed mission, he fell under surveillance, and his family faced financial hardship. Despite undergoing eye surgery for a condition in his left eye, Gao continued to paint passionately, relying on his remaining eye.
In 1954, Gao seized an opportunity to teach at Taichung First Senior High School, marking the peak period of his artistic career. Many of his surviving works today were created during this period. In 1961, he returned to Taipei after being appointed by the National Taiwan Academy of Arts (now National Taiwan University of Arts), but his mental and physical health began to decline.
The death of his wife in 1966 deeply affected Gao, and his health deteriorated rapidly. The following year, he was admitted to a sanatorium in Yuli, Hualien, where he spent his final years receiving medical treatment until his passing in 1972 at the age of 58.
==Exhibitions==
Gao Yifeng held three solo exhibitions in Taiwan during his lifetime. In 1954, while teaching at Taichung First Senor High School, he held his first solo exhibition at the Taichung Library in July, showcasing 57 of his works. Later that year, in December, he exhibited over 80 paintings depicting horses, landscapes of Northwest China, and small sketches at the Zhongshan Hall in Taipei. His second solo exhibition took place at the same venue in June 1957, followed by a two-day extension at the Taiwan-America Economic Cooperation Association. His third solo exhibition was held in 1960. In 1961, he was invited by Mr. Zheng Yuebo, the head of the Department of Fine Arts at the National Taiwan Academy of Arts, to teach at the school.
In 2004, the National Museum of History organized a commemorative exhibition titled "Tracing the Thin Shadow: Gao Yifeng's Artistic World." In 2009, the Taiwan Soka Association held an exhibition titled "The Solitude of Humanity: Gao Yifeng's Ink Art."
==Artistic Style==
Gao Yifeng's artistic versatility is reflected in his diverse range of mediums, including woodcut prints, comics, ink, watercolor, oil painting, calligraphy, and sculpture. During his studies at the Jinghua Art School, where he majored in Western painting, he absorbed Western artistic concepts and honed his skills in sketching. This laid the foundation for his later transition to developing realistic themes in ink painting. His works often depict memories of the desolate landscapes of Northwest China, featuring horses, camels, and vast expanses of land, conveyed with simple yet expressive brushwork. Additionally, Gao captured the everyday life and local customs of Taiwan, portraying street vendors, itinerant medicine peddlers, and elderly women with bound feet. These character-driven pieces vividly document the social fabric of Taiwan in the 1950s.
In addition to his depictions of nature and the diverse facets of everyday life, many of Gao's artworks serve as reflections of his personal life journey. Pieces such as "Singer (II)," "Teacher," "Self-portrait II," "Good Voice," and "Sounds of Heaven" convey his life experiences and inner emotions. Through these thematic expressions, Gao Yifeng's artworks become poignant reflections of his life and mindset.
Category:People from Shanxi
Category:1915 births
Category:Pioneer recording artists
Category:Taiwanese people
Category:1972 deaths