Max Liu Chi Wei, Homage to Pablo Picasso, 1995

Mixed media
48 x 33.5 cm (visible), 78 x 64 x 3 cm (framed)
Condition: Very good

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Max Liu (Chinese, 1912-2002) was born in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China, under the name Liu Fu-Sheng. At the age of nine, he moved to Japan with his family and later worked for the National Government as a technician in the Ministry of National Defense's Ordnance Bureau. He eventually relocated to Taiwan, where he contributed to post-war power infrastructure recovery and restoration projects.

A self-taught artist outside the formal academy system, Liu’s journey with art began in 1949 after visiting an exhibition by Xiang Hong (dates unknown) at Zhongshan Hall in Taipei. Inspired, he began experimenting with watercolour painting and translating art books. In 1971, he resigned from his government position to pursue art full-time. Integrating art anthropology and indigenous cultural field studies into his work, he sought to promote art while expressing his love for nature and ecological conservation.

Beyond his artistic practice, Liu had a strong interest in art theory. During his time in Japan, he was exposed to the country’s modernisation of artistic thought and had access to a wealth of English and Japanese art literature. This exposure allowed him to absorb modern Western painting concepts, which he later introduced to Taiwan through translations and writings.

His Tribute to Picasso series, inspired by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) and Cubism, reflects this intellectual engagement. In these works, Liu distilled natural landscapes and imagery from his own experiences into geometric forms, adopting a Cubist approach to abstraction.

(Photographed in March 2025)