Art Across Asia — From Taiwan to Guizhou

In recent years, Taiwan’s art scene has been expanding with remarkable momentum.

As suggested by the imagery on its banknotes, there is a deep cultural emphasis on cherishing children and nurturing the future. 

People value one another—caring for their families, their friends, and even visitors.

That same warmth seems to envelop Taiwanese art as well. It carries a tenderness that quietly sinks into the heart.

This time, I visited Taiwan after the main period of Art Basel had passed, hoping to see what remained in its wake. Taipei, in particular, is home to countless places to experience art—Taipei Fude Arts Museum,Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and many others—along with clusters of charming art districts scattered throughout its old streets.

The presence of art in Taiwan feels far more embedded in everyday life than what we typically see in Japan.

Artworks quietly sit in unexpected places, woven naturally into daily scenery: a human figure crafted from driftwood; a landscape composed of carefully arranged panels of discarded aluminum cans, painted in unbelievable colors.

Everywhere I turned, art lived as part of the rhythm of the city.

By contrast, China presents a different picture—its regions vary widely in wealth and development. This time, I deliberately chose to visit Guizhou, not a wealthy area, but a province filled with numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

From Taipei, I traveled to Shanghai, then boarded another flight to Guizhou. From the large, bustling city of Guiyang, it took another five hours by car to reach Fanjing Mountain in Tongren—a World Heritage site.

Along the way, I encountered many things that lingered in my memory.

Even in provincial cities where the art scene has not fully developed, unique sculptures—likely imagined by local youth—appear unexpectedly between high-rise buildings.

And farther from the cities, deep in the remote countryside, nature itself becomes art.

Rocks, soil, and the climate have shaped forms that stand like sculptures created solely by time and the earth.

What I felt, simply and clearly, was this: Art reaches every corner of the world. It transcends genre, wealth, and geography—and flows quietly into the hearts of people everywhere.