Lin Chih-chu

Lin Chih-chu (; February 2, 1917 – February 13, 2008), a native of Daya, Taichung, Taiwan (now Daya District, Taichung City), was a Taiwanese painter known as the "Father of Taiwanese Nihonga." In his early years, Lin Chih-chu participated in exhibitions in Japan and Taiwan, with his works primarily focusing on portraits and scenes of daily life. In his later years, he shifted his focus to paintings of flowers, birds, and landscapes. Lin Chih-chu's grandfather, Lin Wei-xiu, was a Qing Dynasty scholar (xiucai), and he grew up in an affluent household. Gifted with natural intelligence, Lin showed great promise from a young age. Though his parents hoped he would study medicine, he chose instead to follow his passion for painting.

At age 12, he went to Japan to study; he was later admitted to the Imperial Art School of Japan (now Musashino Art University in Tokyo), where he trained under artists such as Okumura Togyu (1889–1990), Yamaguchi Hoshun (1893–1971), Kawasaki Shoko (1886–1977), and Kobayashi Suju.

At the age of 24, Lin Chih-chu's work Morning Cool was selected for Japan's "2600th Imperial Year Commemorative Art Exhibition." With the outbreak of the Pacific War, Lin returned to Taiwan in 1941. His works were later featured in the "Taiwan Governor-General's Exhibition," where he consecutively won first place in the special selection category, establishing his prominence in the art world.

Naming and promoting gouache painting Like other Nihonga painters, Lin Chih-Chu was troubled by the debate over the definition of traditional Chinese paintings during the early period after the relocation of the Nationalist government to Taiwan. Following the war, Lin served as a juror in the Chinese Painting Division for the Provincial Art Exhibitions. However, Japanese-style paintings were exhibited under the title "Chinese Painting, Section II," which seemed to place them in a subordinate position compared to ink wash painting. Despite this, Lin remained steadfast in his commitment to the in-depth exploration and promotion of the Nihonga painting style. However, after Japan severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1972, the Provincial Art Exhibition unexpectedly abolished the "Chinese Painting, Section II" (which was essentially the Japanese Painting Division). Lin Chih-Chu actively worked to address this issue, and in 1977, he proposed the term "gouache painting," which was formally adopted for use in exhibition titles. In 1981, Lin, together with Lin Yu-Shan, Chen Chin, Hsu Shen-Chou, and Tsai Tsai Cao-ju, founded the "Taiwan Provincial Gouache Association," with Lin serving as its chairman. Finally, in the 37th Provincial Art Exhibition in 1983, gouache painting was established as an independent category. On May 7, 2015, Lin Chih-Chu's Morning Cool, housed in the collection of the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, was officially designated as an important cultural artifact of the Republic of China by the Bureau of Cultural Heritage. On June 6, 2015, after the renovation of Lin Chih-Chu's studio and its surrounding areas was completed, it was officially opened to the public as the "Lin Chih-Chu Memorial Hall."