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Ju Ming Biography1938 - 1970sIn this period, Ju gradually developed his Taichi Series, which later became one of his most renowned series. Ju Ming Biography1980 - 2000In 1999, after 12 year of hard work, Juming Museum was finally ready to open. It became the artist’s largest work, and was his way to contribute toward the society. Ju Ming Biography2000 - 2023Ju Ming dedicated his entire life to relentless artistic creation, leaving significant legacies and contributions to the art history of Taiwan through his unique artistic expressions and achievements. |
1938 - 1970sJu Ming, original named as Ju Chuan-tai, was born in 1938, in the small town Tongxiao (Miaoli County, Taiwan). At the age of 15, Ju Ming became an apprentice to the famous local artisan Lee Chin-chuan, and he was trained as a traditional Chinese wood-carver at the first time. After Ju completed the apprenticeship, he soon created a successful crafts business. However, Ju Ming was eager to develop further as a sculptor, a true artist. As a result, at the age 30, Ju Ming strived to be a pupil of the renowned sculptor Yuyu Yang, and started his pursuit of art.
In the year 1976, Ju Ming held his first solo exhibition in the National Museum of History, Taipei. The exhibition was a great success. People flooded into the museum to see Ju’s work, which brought him huge fame, since Ju’s wood carving works depicted Taiwanese rural scenery, for example, the water buffalo, and reminded many Taiwanese of the strength and beauty of their home-island. Ju Ming was soon considered as a significant symbol of Taiwanese Nativist Movement, and also named as one of the Ten Outstanding Persons of 1976 by the government. However, despite the success on carvings of native images, Ju Ming kept pushed himself forward to find more innovative ways of expression in sculpture. In this period, Ju gradually developed his Taichi Series, which later became one of his most renowned series. 1980 - 2000By the early 1980s, Ju Ming went to New York, the center of contemporary art in the 1980s, where he later developed the Living World Series and gain international acclaim. Ju Ming’s artistic creativity came to full fruition between the 1980s and 1990s. During this time, both of his major serial works, Taichi Series and Living World Series, reached the stature of maturity. Ju developed a new depth in the artistic languages of Taichi Series, which he executed with gentleness, easiness and humility, reflecting the unity of man and nature. The Living World Series, on the other hand, themed with people from all walks of life, reflected Ju Ming’s keen observation of modern society. Meanwhile, Ju Ming’s works have gone through some changes, especially on materials. He developed his skill and applied it not only on wood, but also clay, sponge, bronze, stainless steel, all sorts of various materials.
From 1987 onwards, Ju Ming start to construct a museum in Jinshan (New Taipei City, Taiwan), and he achieved this goal step by step. He built the museum from scratch, successfully turned a wasteland into a large-scale sculpture park. It is a remarkable work that had never been done in Taiwan before. In 1999, after 12 year of hard work, Juming Museum was finally ready to open. It became the artist’s largest work, and was his way to contribute toward the society. 2000 - 2022In 2015, Ju Ming presented the Living World Series - Citizens using the pure natural colors of wood and precise cutting knife marks to depict images. Instead of focusing on microscopic details of daily life, Ju Ming showcased the collective impression of urban crowds through the arrangement of a matrix installation. In 2018, he unveiled the Living World Series - Ballet, following the use of polished stainless steel technique in 2009's Living World Series - Swimming. He skillfully retained the texture of the parts made of polystyrene, highlighting the appearance of the figures through black-and-white coloration. The contrast in texture, coupled with the reflection of light, intertwines the form of the artwork in the realm of stable yet flowing visual perception. In 2019, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Juming Museum, Ju Ming presented Perpetual.Ju Ming's Taichi Arch of Paleo-embedded Wood. Using rare paleo-embedded wood buried for over five thousand years, he showcased another facet of the Taichi Arch. The texture and volume of the ancient paleo-embedded wood embody the vitality of life refined over time in the natural environment. Living World Series - Beauty in 2022 is Ju Ming's final creation. He molded various human figures using polystyrene and iron wire as the core framework and sculpting with a stack of resin clay, introducing unprecedented breakthroughs. With this series, Ju Ming reflected on the possibilities of innovative expression in clay sculpture. His exuberant creativity is genuinely admiring. 2023In 2023, Ju Ming passed away in Taipei at the age of 85. Throughout his lifetime, Ju Ming tirelessly pursued his artistic creations. As an artist, he continuously broke new ground, delving into self-discovery and advocating the aesthetic perspective of "Art as Practice." This philosophy was manifested in his creative endeavors and attitude toward life. His unique artistic expressions and achievements have left significant legacies and contributions to the history of art in Taiwan. | class=en_biography1
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