• “Let us make our own paintings! Enrich ourselves, express our thoughts and emotions, and let go of everything else. Fame, fortune, reputation are nothing but transient. They matter to us not, for human life is limited, the life of the cosmos forever. So let our souls live forever with it!” ──Excerpt from Fu-sheng KU’s“ Art in Paris──First Letter to Artist Friends in Taiwan” (Feb. 1, 1962)

    • 顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU 魂幻 It's Magic, 1999 油彩/畫布 Oil on canvas 29 7/8 x 35 7/8 in 76 x 91 cm
      顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU
      魂幻 It's Magic, 1999
      油彩/畫布
      Oil on canvas
      29 7/8 x 35 7/8 in
      76 x 91 cm
    • 顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU 再見 Farewell, 2001 油彩/畫布 Oil on canvas 24 1/8 x 31 7/8 in 61 x 81 cm
      顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU
      再見 Farewell, 2001
      油彩/畫布
      Oil on canvas
      24 1/8 x 31 7/8 in
      61 x 81 cm
  • Exploring the meaning of life is at the core Fu-sheng KU’s creations throughout his extensive career. “Human” remains a central motif in his oeuvres, which are permeated with modernist and existentialist philosophies. The human bodies under his paint brush are mostly deformed and elongated. Such strong expression still stand out today, striking the same visual and emotional chord unaffected by the passage of time.

  • “Fu-Sheng KU ’s creative enlightenment began with the individual’s ‘body’ and he strives to capture the ‘present.’ Depictions of distortion and deformation are commonly found in his art.” ──Chia Chi Jason WANG

  • “I paint man’s inner self as well as his feelings towards the outer world; man’s relationship with man, or man’s relationship with his surrounding environment and nature. Life is a riddle and a dream. Life is fragile.” ──Fu-sheng KU

  • Refining himself through his journey in different places

    During his long years of residence overseas, he lived in New York, San Francisco, Portland, among other cities. When he was living in the tranquil city of Portland, his life became calmer and his mind was able to settle down. This was reflected in this works, as there’s a sense of peace and calmness, whether the human body is in action or still. The composition and brushwork became more free and expansive. We can also see KU’s personal connection to the universe and life, as well as more natural scenery in his art.

  • At ease with the impermanence of the world

    KU settled down in Los Angeles after 2008. He once said that it was the freest creative period of his life. He created larger paintings in his garage-turned-studio, fully indulged in creative play. The depressed and lonely headless bodies in his early works were no more. Instead, there’s a sigh of relief at the impermanence of the world, and the Zen spirit was more pronounced in the characters in his paintings. 

    • 顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU 人生如戲 Life is a Three Act Play, 2009 油彩/畫布 Oil on canvas 68 1/8 x 50 in 173 x 127 cm
      顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU
      人生如戲 Life is a Three Act Play, 2009
      油彩/畫布
      Oil on canvas
      68 1/8 x 50 in
      173 x 127 cm
    • 顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU 彼岸 The Distant Shore, 1993 綜合媒材/畫布 Mixed media on canvas 29 7/8 x 22 1/8 in 76 x 56 cm
      顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU
      彼岸 The Distant Shore, 1993
      綜合媒材/畫布
      Mixed media on canvas
      29 7/8 x 22 1/8 in
      76 x 56 cm
  • “In the late 1990s, Fu-sheng KU’s works gradually revealed a sorrowful gaze towards illness and death, culminating into a kind of creative energy that emerges from his love for others. Completely different from his earlier focus on the meaning of self-existence, this new facet later brewed into the core exploration of facing death in his later works.” ──Roan Ching-yueh

  • 顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU, 比肩 Side by Side, 2014

    顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU

    比肩 Side by Side, 2014
     
  • KU lived a life of carefree bliss. The colors of his later paintings became brighter and more vibrant. Even in the face of illness, art remained his spiritual support through the difficulties. He said: “If one has to choose a way of life, then mine would be painting. Painting is my all—my thoughts, my emotions, all the details of my life are in it.”

    • 顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU 天高地厚 Heaven and Earth, 2001 綜合媒材/畫布 Mixed media on canvas 24 1/8 x 31 7/8 in 61 x 81 cm
      顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU
      天高地厚 Heaven and Earth, 2001
      綜合媒材/畫布
      Mixed media on canvas
      24 1/8 x 31 7/8 in
      61 x 81 cm
    • 顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU 越界 Crossing over, 2014 油彩/畫布 Oil on canvas 39 3/4 x 49 5/8 in 101 x 126 cm
      顧福生 Fu-Sheng KU
      越界 Crossing over, 2014
      油彩/畫布
      Oil on canvas
      39 3/4 x 49 5/8 in
      101 x 126 cm
  • Regardless of the phase of his creative opus, KU's works always exude a strong sense of literary quality and a reflection on life. Under the bold yet subtle abundance of emotions is his deepest fondness for life. In the world of art, KU had constructed his own unique and open-minded view of the cosmic life and death.

  • Fu-sheng KU (1935-2017)

    Fu-sheng KU’s art can be roughly classified into different periods based on the cities he has lived in: Taipei period (1957-1961), Paris period (1961-1962), New York period (1963-1974), San Francisco period (1974-1990), Portland period (1990-2002), Chicago period (2002-2008), and Los Angeles period (2008-Present). In early works, headless bodies are enveloped in infinite solitude and bitterness. In works of the middle years are his contemplations of life and death as well as the juxtaposition of illusion and reality. The recent works now witness his liberation from all worldly restraints and sing praises of life with melodies from a blooming sanctuary. Fu-sheng KU’s creative career illustrates a sincere artist’s profound fascination in man, living and life in all its endearments.

    Exhibitions at ESLITE GALLERY

    2017 “It’s a Beautiful Life: A Memorial Retrospective of Fu-sheng KU’s work”

    2016 “Song of Myself: Selected Works of Fu-sheng KU 1960-2015”

    2012 “Fu-sheng KU solo exhibition”

    2008 “Fu-sheng KU solo exhibition”

    2005 “Fu-sheng KU solo exhibition”

    1998 “Fu-sheng KU solo exhibition”

    Exhibition at Taipei Fine Arts Museum

    1997 “The Floating of Being: The Retrospective of Ku Fu-sheng, 1959-1996”, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan

  • Photography: XIAO Ron / Motion graphic: WANG Da-Wei

    TAP HERE FOR MORE " FU-SHENG KU SOLO EXHIBITION - SONG OF MYSELF ".