Chang Wan-chuan

Chang Wan-chuan (May 28, 1909 – January 12, 2003) was born in Tamsui, Taipei, Taiwan. He is one of the early 20th-century Taiwanese painters who traveled to Japan for the study of Western painting. His artistic creations are primarily characterized by the styles and techniques of Expressionism and Fauvism.

Early life and education Chang Wan-Chuan was born in Tamsui on May 28, 1909. His father, Chang Yung-Ching (1877–1945), worked at the Tamsui Customs at the time. At the age of 32, his father joyfully welcomed his eldest son and named him "Wan-chuan" with the intention of "passing on everything," which resonates with the pronunciation of "Man-chuan" in Taiwanese Hokkien.

In 1924, Chang graduated from the higher department of the Shilin Public School, and his family moved to Dadaocheng in Taipei. In 1929, he learned about the recruitment of students by the Western Painting Research Institute.

On July 1, 1929, the Western Painting Research Institute was founded with funding from Ni Chiang-Huai. Chang learned sketch, watercolor, oil painting, and so on from Ishikawa Kinichiro, and he also met Lan Yin-Ding, Ni Chiang-huai, Chen Chi-chi, and Yang San-lang there and became bosom friends with Hong Jui-lin and Chen Te-wang. That same year, Chang Wan-chuan, Hong Rui-lin, and Chen Te-wang left the Taiyang Art Association. showcasing a distinctive style characterized by expressionism and elements of the Fauvist movement. Zhang also contributed to art education by teaching at institutions like Xiamen Academy of Fine Arts, Taipei Datong High School, Yanping High School, and the Night Division of the National Taiwan Normal University's Department of Fine Arts. and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall organized the "Surge – Zhang Wanchuan 110th Anniversary Exhibition" in 2019.