| Liu Yong | |
| Native Name Lang: | zh |
| Occupation: | Educator, novelist, painter, philanthropist |
| Nationality: | Taiwanese-American |
| Alma Mater: | National Taiwan Normal University (BFA) St. John's University (MA) Columbia University (PhD) |
| Genres: | --> |
| Subjects: | --> |
| Notablework: | --> |
| Spouse: | Bi Wei Wei |
| Children: | Liu Shiuan(1972—) and Liu Yvonne(1989—) |
Liu Yong (; born February, 1949) is a Taiwanese educator, novelist, painter, and philanthropist. He founded the Shui Yun Zhai Cultural Enterprise and has built over 40 schools in rural China.[1]
Liu is also an author, his books have been translated into English, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, and other languages. Liu’s works are featured in school textbooks in mainland China and Taiwan.[2] He has toured China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore to speak on educational topics. A chapter from one of Liu's many motivational books for adolescents is included as a potential topic for the reading-aloud test on the Putonghua Proficiency Test.[3]
Liu Yong was born and raised in Taipei. His father died when he was nine years old. He graduated from Cheng Kung Senior High School, obtained a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from National Taiwan Normal University, obtained a Master's degree in East Asian Studies from St. John's University (Jamaica, NY), and pursued a Doctorate degree in Art Education from Columbia University.
Liu won the first place in the fine arts department exhibition at National Taiwan Normal University, and became an art teacher at Cheng Kung Senior High School upon graduation in 1972. He was invited to participate in the Asia Contemporary Art Exhibition at age 23 and the National Art Exhibition at age 25.
From November 30, 1971 to April 5, 1974, Liu hosted the prime-time China Television quiz show "Seconds Count Down". From 1973 to 1977, he worked as a reporter and producer for China Television in Taipei. In 1978, he represented China Television in the U.S. and became the artist-in-residence at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History in Virginia. In 1980, he became the artist-in-residence at St. John's University in New York. In 1991, Taiwan’s public television station commissioned Liu to produce the documentary series, “The Spirit of Chinese Culture.” At the same time, he founded Shui Yun Zhai Cultural Enterprises in Taipei, which he continues to manage, in addition to working as a professional writer and artist. He is currently about 75 years old.
Liu was an apprentice of Huang Jun-Bi and Lin Yushan, artists of landscape, bird, and flower paintings. He imitated classical masterpieces in the National Palace Museum. His foundation, combined with education in Western painting from studying in the U.S., clear sketching technique, and background in literature led to the development of his style.
Liu’s landscape paintings have been described as “Dreamscape” by American media for their three-dimensional quality. The style merges his self-invented technique of spraying ink onto wrinkled paper collages, the boneless strokes of bird and flower painting, texture strokes inspired by old Chinese masters, and sometimes his own form of Pointillism inspired by Impressionism.
Liu’s bird and flower paintings depict their subjects with remarkable scientific precision. Liu aspires for viewers to "live, play, and listen" within his works, as each painting tells a story, much like a piece of literature. His art and writing are deeply intertwined, with critics frequently commending his paintings for capturing the poetic essence and narrative depth often found in poetry.
Liu has become one of the few living Chinese painters to be included in Sotheby's and Christie's auctions in Hong Kong, Beijing, and New York. Numerous books have been published about his artwork, theory, and techniques. Notably, People's Fine Arts Publishing House published a book on Liu Yong in their prestigious “Chinese Contemporary Famous Artists” series.