Chronology

1932

Liu Kuo-sung born May 31 (lunar calendar: April 26) in Bangbu, Anhui province, China. Ancestral home is Qingzhou, Shandong province. Father, Zhongqi, comes from military background. Mother, Mei Minling, from prominent family in Tongzhou, Beiping; original surname was Liu, but changed to Mei in line with custom of not marrying someone of same surname.

1938

Father dies in Battle of Wuhan in Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–45) when Liu is six years old. During the war, travels with mother and sister through Chinese provinces of Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Jiangxi, and many other places in China. Sister dies from illness c.1939.

1945

After victory in the Second Sino-Japanese War, attends Jinxi County Junior High School in Jiangxi.

1946

Moves from Jiangxi to Changsha in Hunan province and attends Xinhua Junior High School. After six months, settles in Wuchang, Hubei province, and attends Private Wuchang Chunghua University Affiliated Junior High School (second year of Junior High).

1947

Admitted to Junior High Division of Hanyang Senior High School, Hubei province.

1948

In February, admitted to National Revolutionary Military Orphan School in Nanjing as second-semester Junior-High third-year transfer student.

1949

Moves to Taiwan with National Revolutionary Military Orphan School and subsequently enrolls in Affiliated Senior High School of Taiwan Provincial Teachers' College in Taipei (today Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University [HSNU]).

1951

Admitted to Fine Arts Department of Taiwan Provincial Teachers' College in Taipei, Taiwan (today Department of Fine Arts, National Taiwan Normal University [NTNU]).

1952

Author's short story “Solace after Catastrophe” (“Jie hou yu wen”), with teacher Xie Bingying's encouragement, successfully submitted to Taiwan periodicial Literature and Art by High School Students (Zhongxuesheng wenyi).

1953

Participates with classmates in Xiliu New Poetry Wall Bulletin.

1954

Publishes essay "Why Squeeze Nihonga into the Arena of Guohua? Thoughts after Viewing the Guohua Section of the Taiwan Provincial Fine Arts Exhibition" in Taiwanese newspaper United Daily News, and goes on to regularly contribute art criticism to journals, magazines and newspapers.

Through Orphan School classmates Huo Gang and Li Yuan-chia, becomes acquainted with artists Hsiao Chin, Wu Hao, Hsia Yang and others, who later form Ton Fan Painting Society.

1955

Graduates top of class from Fine Arts Department, NTNU.

Begins year-long teaching internship at Keelung Municipal High School; Chiang Chao-shen is a colleague.

1956

Organizes Joint Exhibition of Western-style Paintings by Four Artists with classmates Li Fang (Li Fangzhi), Kuo Tung-jung and Kuo Yu-lun at NTNU over the summer. Subsequently, co-founds Fifth Moon Group with encouragement of his professor, Taiwanese painter Liao Chi-chun.

Begins mandatory military service and reserve-officer training in Taichung.

1957

Selected by National Museum of History as a representative in First Young Asian Artists Exhibition in Tokyo.

Fifth Moon Group’s first exhibition opens at City Hall in Taipei, Taiwan, catalyzing modern art movement in region.

Assigned to serve in Marine Corps in Zuoying, and becomes acquainted with Ya Xian, Fong Chung-ray, Hu Chi-chung and others.

Begins experimenting with plaster on canvas for oil paintings.

1958

Discharged from military. Returns to teaching at Keelung Municipal High School.

1959

Recommended by teacher Liao Chi-chun, serves as assistant to Kuo Po-chuan in Department of Architecture at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, and meets Han Pao-teh and C. Y. Lee.

Participates in Fifth São Paulo Art Biennial and First Paris Biennial and International Exhibition of Young Artists.

Turns away from Westernization in painting and adopts cultural position in which “East and West are merged.” Begins to add turpentine and ink to oil paintings to simulate effects achieved in ink-wash paintings.

Becomes an editor of Taiwanese monthly Bihui, working with chief editor Yu Tien-tsung. Subsequently meets large group of poets, including Yu Kwang-chung, Chu Ko and Cheng Chou-yu, as well as musicians Hsu Tsang-Houei and Shih Wei-liang, and critic Yao Yi-wei, joining them in advocating for modern art movement.

1960

Joins Chung Yuan Christian College of Science and Engineering (today Chung Yuan Christian University) in Taoyuan as lecturer in Department of Architecture.

Participates in initiating establishment of China Modern Art Center, later frustrated by “Chin Sung Incident” and ultimately dissolved.

1961

Marries Lee Mo-hua.

Participates in Sixth São Paulo Art Biennial and Second Paris Biennial and International Exhibition of Young Artists.

Writes Art Forum column for Taipei’s Kung Lun Pao newspaper.

Writes essay “Why Consign Modern Art to the Enemy? Questions for Mr Hsu Fu-kuan” rebutting “The Telos of Modern Art” article by Hsu Fu-kuan, Chinese scholar of New Confucianism. Discursive battle over modern painting ensues.

Abandons painting in oil on canvas and returns to ink and paper, spearheading modernization of Chinese painting.

Begins experimenting with tuomo (ink-rubbing) technique.

1962

Participates in Fifth Moon Exhibition & Chinese Modern Paintings in Taipei, sixth Fifth Moon show. Exhibition to travel to the US.

Participates in First International Exhibition of Fine Arts of Saigon in Saigon.

Mother sends letters from China to Taiwan, which are eventually received. She asks painter Lui Shou-kwan, a family friend in Hong Kong, to help with communication and the sending of supplies.

1963

Participates in Seventh São Paulo Art Biennial; Exhibition of Avant-Garde Chinese Contemporary Art at Dominion Art Galleries in Sydney; Taiwan—Contemporary Art at Chatham Galleries, Hong Kong; Seventh Fifth Moon Exhibition; and Dedication Programs for Tunghai University Fine Arts Building: Contemporary Painting Exhibition at the Art Center, Tunghai University, Taichung.

Pioneers use of coarse, ragged fibres embedded in cotton (mian) paper in ink painting, and invents “Liu Kuo-sung paper,” used in unique “stripping-tendons-and-peeling-off-skin” or “texturing-by-plucking-and-flaying” stroke (choujin bopi cun 抽筋剝皮皴), leaving white ‘negative brushstrokes,’ an innovation in Chinese painting history. Begins developing “broad strokes” style.

Clouds amidst Deep Mountains collected by Hong Kong Museum of Art, the first time an institution acquires his work.

1964

On Yu Kwang-chung’s recommendation, Chinese art historian Chu-tsing Li visits Liu in his studio and is deeply moved by Wintry Mountains Covered in Snow.

Contributes work to travelling show Modern Chinese Paintings Exhibition, which tours fourteen countries in Africa.

Participates in Fifth Moon Exhibition of Five Chinese Painters at Dominion Gallery in Sydney and Australian National University in Canberra.

1965

Liu’s first solo exhibition opens at National Center of Arts (today National Taiwan Arts Education Center).

Liu’s first collection of essays, The Road to Modern Chinese Painting, published by Wen Hsing Bookstore in Taipei. Originally named for the essay “Painting is Painting,” bookstore owner Hsiao Meng-neng suggests changing the title, drawing on the last paragraph of the preface: “This collection represents the road I have travelled; the road toward a modernized Chinese painting, an unpredictable path I have plotted in my tireless campaign.”

Serves as a judge for Fifth National Art Exhibition of the Republic of China.

Creates first long handscroll painting, The Image of Fleeting Time, later collected by Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

Participates in travelling show Contemporary Art in Asia, which tours ten Asian cities.

Participates in Chinese Modern Art Exhibition organized by and held at Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, Italy.

1966

Receives two-year travel grant from John D. Rockefeller 3rd Fund [JDR 3rd Fund] on recommendation of Chinese art historian Chu-tsing Li. Studies printmaking at University of Iowa for three months, then travels US for four months, before spending nine months in New York. Visits museums and galleries in various cities, including Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Skowhegan, Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Kansas City and New York. Also visits art institutions such as Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture and scenic spots such as Niagara Falls, Yellowstone National Park and Grand Canyon, and meets with various artists. In San Francisco, attends special exhibition of ancient Chinese art from Avery Brundage Collection and international conference on Asian art at de Young Museum, and makes acquaintance of renowned art historians including Michael Sullivan, René-Yvon Lefebvre d’Argencé, Pierre Ryckmans, Sherman E. Lee and Ho Wai-kam. While in New York, by arrangement of Institute of International Education (IIE), visits studios of well-known New York modern artists such as Andy Warhol and Larry Rivers, sees private art collections and attends major local art events. Also interacts with Taiwanese artists C. C. Wang and Walasse Ting.

First solo exhibition in US at Laguna Beach Art Association Gallery (today Laguna Art Museum) in California.

Contributes work to group exhibition The New Chinese Landscape, which travels to leading museums and galleries throughout US over two years.

English edition of Liu’s first exhibition catalogue, Paintings by Liu Kuo-sung, authored by Chu-tsing Li and Thomas Lawton, published by National Museum of History, Taipei.

Liu’s second collection of essays, Copying, Drawing, Creating, published by Wen Hsing Bookstore in Taipei.

Rethinks the appeal of Fan Kuan’s Travelers amidst Mountains and Streams and, inspired by it, creates Loftiness series works.

1967

First solo exhibition in New York, at Lee Nordness Galleries, receives favorable review from New York Times art critic John Canaday. Lee Nordness Galleries begins representing Liu.

Invited to hold solo exhibition at Friends of Art Sales and Rental Gallery at Nelson Gallery (today Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art) in Kansas City, Missouri, US.

Mounts solo exhibition that travels from Gallery 100 in Princeton, New Jersey, to Coffman Art Gallery at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Leaves US in May to spend five months in Europe before returning to Taipei in October, and taking teaching position at Chung Yuan Christian College of Science and Engineering (today Chung Yuan Christian University) in Taoyuan.

1968

Solo show travels from Seattle Art Museum, Washington, to Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Named one of “Ten Outstanding Youths” by Junior Chamber International of Worldwide Federation of Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs in Taipei, Taiwan.

Initiates founding of Chinese Ink Painting Association in Taiwan and continues to advocate modernization of Chinese painting.

Begins series on snowy mountains after travels to Mont Blanc and the Jungfrau in Switzerland the year before.

1969

Solo show Paintings by Liu Kuo-sung at National Gallery of Art and Museum of History（Now National Museum of History, Taiwan. English monograph by US art historian Chu-tsing Li, Liu Kuo-sung: The Growth of a Modern Chinese Artist, accompanies exhibition.

Begins working on Space series, inspired by pictures of Earth taken the year before from Apollo 8. First work in the series, Which is Earth?, wins painting award at Mainstreams ’69: The Second Annual Marietta College International Competitive Exhibition for Painting and Sculpture, held at the Grover M. Hermann Fine Arts Center, Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio.

Participates in Tenth São Paulo Art Biennial, as well as Trends in Twentieth Century Chinese Painting at Stanford Museum, Stanford University, California.

At an airport while travelling through Europe, sees postcards of the “midnight sun,” an encounter that inspires first Midnight Sun, currently in permanent collection of Stanford University.

1970

Invited to teach art as Visiting Professor at University of Wisconsin–Stout, for one semester.

Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst in Cologne stages Liu Kuo-sung: A Painter from Taiwan / Republic of China, and publishes German edition of Chu-tsing Li’s Liu Kuo-sung: The Growth of a Modern Chinese Artist. Show travels to Museum für Kunsthandwerk in Frankfurt the following year.

Solo exhibition travels to Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego (today San Diego Museum of Art) in California, and Lee Nordness Galleries in New York.

Participates in group show New Directions in Chinese Painting: An Exhibition of Nine Contemporary Chinese Artists at Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. Show travels to many other university museums across the country for two years.

At invitation of Arts Club of Chicago, participates in group exhibition The Calligraphic Statement.

Inspired by minimalist painting, begins to experiment with acrylics and airbrush techniques to create Moon’s Metamorphosis series.

1971

Moves to Hong Kong to teach at Department of Fine Arts, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

First solo exhibitions in England at Bristol City Art Gallery and London gallery Hugh M. Moss, Ltd. Participates in Eleventh São Paulo Art Biennial.

Commissioned by International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (ITT) to create New Bridge for company’s global advertising campaign. Shortly thereafter, the work, together with those of representative artists from other countries, exhibited in major cities around the world.

1972

Appointed Chair of Department of Fine Arts, CUHK. Designs and offers course on modern Chinese ink painting.

Solo exhibition at The Luz Gallery in Makati City, Philippines.

Solo exhibition at Utah State University, Art Gallery Logan; and Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City.

Solo exhibition at Galerie Hans Hoeppner in Hamburg, Germany.

Appointed member of international jury for São Paulo Art Biennial.

1973

Paintings by Liu Kuo-sung opens at Bank of America, St George’s Building, presented by Hong Kong Arts Centre.

Introduces Modern Ink Painting Diploma Program at Department of Extramural Studies, CUHK, promoting development of modern ink painting.

British art historian Michael Sullivan praises Liu in The Meeting of Eastern and Western Art, affirming his place in art history.

Begins extensive experiments with “water-rubbing” (shuituo).

1974

L’art Abstrait 1945–1970, featuring Which is Earth?, published in France by Michel Ragon and Michel Seuphor.

Liu’s mother, Mei Minling, applies to travel from Hubei to Hong Kong, where she reunites with Liu for four months.

Solo exhibition at Laky Gallery in Carmel, California. Takes part in Contemporary Chinese Painting and Calligraphy at Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut, which goes on to tour various museums across the country.

1975

Invited to teach at School of Art, University of Iowa for a year as Visiting Professor.

CUHK’s Department of Extramural Studies mounts exhibition at Hong Kong City Hall showcasing works by inaugural graduates of Modern Ink Painting Diploma Program. First presents theory of “Overturn the center tip, overturn the brush” in foreword for exhibition catalogue.

Solo exhibitions at Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs, and M M Shinno Gallery, Los Angeles.

Participates in Eleventh Asian Contemporary Art Exhibition at Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo, Japan.

1976

Updates 1965 essay “Discussion on Painting Techniques,” originally published in Taiwanese magazine Apollo (Wenxing), with groundbreaking ideas on “Overturn the center tip, overturn the brush.” Revised version published in Hong Kong newspaper Sing Tao Daily (November 17–19, 1976), and thereafter in United Daily News (January 9–11, 1979) in Taiwan, sending ripples through the region’s art circles.

Fourth InSEA Asia Conference on Art Education jointly organized by CUHK, International Society for Education Through Art (InSEA) Asia, and Hong Kong Committee of InSEA. Elected President of InSEA Asia.

University of California, Berkeley, publishes Michael Sullivan’s A Short History of Chinese Art, in which the historian describes Liu as innovator in Chinese art.

Solo show at Ulrich Museum of Art of Wichita State University in Kansas, and Kennedy Museum of Art of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Steps down as Chair of Department of Fine Arts at CUHK to focus on teaching and creative work.

1977

Solo exhibitions at Occidental College, California, Plymouth State College Art Gallery, New Hampshire, and East & West Art in Melbourne.

Only Asian artist invited—of eight artists—to contribute to “Commonwealth Print Portfolio” at University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Appointed jury member for Hong Kong Museum of Art’s Contemporary Hong Kong Art Biennial 1977.

Invites fellow alumni of NTNU Fine Arts Department living in Hong Kong to form Front Group and participates in exhibitions through third iteration.

1978

Professor at City University of New York. German-American historian Conrad Schirokauer publishes A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations, calling Liu a key figure in modern Chinese art. Schirokauer quotes from the artist’s essays and features his paintings.

Solo exhibition in Australia, travelling to East & West Art in Melbourne, Greenhill Galleries in North Adelaide and Churchill Gallery in Perth.

Serves on organizing and planning committees for Taipei Fine Arts Museum in Taipei.

1979

Two-man show with Taiwanese painter and calligrapher Au Ho-nien at Museum für Kunsthandwerk in Frankfurt.

Solo exhibition at Lung Men Art Gallery in Taipei.

Chu-tsing Li’s Trends in Modern Chinese Painting, published in Switzerland, expounds on Chinese works in C. A. Drenowatz Collection in Zürich, which includes several Liu paintings.

Liu’s mother dies July 1.

1980

Jointly invited by Iowa Arts Council and Illinois Arts Council to become artist-in-residence at University of Iowa. While in US, delivers lectures and master classes at various colleges, universities and museums, as well as on educational television programs.

At Utah Watercolor Society’s invitation, travels to Salt Lake City to teach two-week course on modern Chinese ink painting.

Participates in second China Weekend organized by International Writing Program at University of Iowa, and meets renowned Chinese poet Ai Qing and his wife, as well as novelist Wang Meng.

Solo exhibition travels to Ulrich Museum of Art of Wichita State University in Kansas, University of Arizona Museum of Art in Tucson, Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art in California, and Trisolini Gallery of Ohio University in Athens.

1981

Invited to Beijing to attend inauguration of Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Painting (today National Academy of Chinese Painting) and to exhibit works. Liu’s first return to China since leaving in 1949, and first exhibition there. Meets senior artists including Li Keran, Wu Zuoren, Liu Haisu, Lu Yanshao, Cheng Shifa, Ye Qianyu, Zhang Ting and Huang Zhou. Visits Wu Guanzhong and tours art schools and museums in Nanjing, Shanghai and Hangzhou.

Participates in Chinese Traditional Paintings 1975–1980 at Musée Cernuschi in Paris.

Solo exhibition at UMC Fine Art Gallery, University of Colorado, Boulder, and Galerie Andree in Costa Mesa, California.

Participates in First Exhibition of Asian Art at invitation of Bahrain Monetary Agency (today Central Bank of Bahrain).

1982

Solo exhibition at Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University in Logan.

Conrad Schirokauer’s Modern China and Japan, published in England, names Liu key figure of modern Chinese art and includes his painting The Metaphysics of Rocks.

Participates in Some Recent Developments in Twentieth Century Chinese Painting: A Personal View at Hugh Moss Gallery, London and Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong; Modern Chinese Ink Painting Exhibition from Hong Kong at East & West Art in Melbourne; and Contemporary Vision of Landscape at Hong Kong Museum of Art.

1983

Solo exhibition at National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) in Beijing and Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum in Nanjing. Show eventually tours eighteen cities in China over four years.

In Beijing, delivers three public lectures at Central Academy of Fine Arts at school’s invitation.

Participates in Moods of Nature: Four Contemporary Chinese Landscape Artists at Hong Kong Arts Centre.

Participates in Overseas Chinese Artists Exhibition at Taipei Fine Arts Museum.

Solo exhibition at Gallery New World in Carmel, California.

Completes The Four Seasons handscroll at year end. Li Keran adds inscription the following year.

1984

Paintings by Liu Kuo-sung published in Beijing by People’s Fine Arts Publishing House.

Participates in Beijing’s Sixth National Art Exhibition in China, where The Feeling of Nightfall (Impression of Sunset) wins “Special Achievement Award for Hong Kong and Macau” and is later collected by NAMOC.

Participates in 20th Century Chinese Paintings at Hong Kong Museum of Art.

1985

Invited by French artist association Salon de Mai to participate in salon exhibition in Paris. Liu’s painting Deeply inside the Mountain’s Breath is featured.

Solo retrospective held at Hong Kong Arts Centre.

Chinese artist Zhou Shaohua’s The Genesis of Liu Kuo-sung’s Art published in Wuhan by Hubei Fine Arts Publishing House.

Central Academy of Arts and Crafts (today Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University) in Beijing invites Liu to teach modern ink painting for two weeks as Visiting Scholar.

1986

Solo exhibition Liu Kuo-sung at Galeria do Leal Senado in Macau.

Further develops “water-rubbing” technique and begins exploring and experimenting with “ink- steeping” (zimo) technique.

1987

Visits Tibet in August and subsequently creates Tibet series.

Participates in Contemporary Chinese Painting Exhibition at Vancouver Art Gallery.

Participates in Chinese Modern Painting Exhibition at Brussels City Hall.

Commissioned by K. S. Lo to create long handscroll Scenery of Hong Kong, depicting ships and skyscrapers for first time.

1988

Participates in Seventh Exhibition of International Art of Suiboku at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.

Participates in International Ink Painting Exhibition and Ink Painting Research Conference organized by Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Painting in Beijing. Also publishes “Conceptual Questions in Contemporary Chinese Painting.”

Participates in Third Asian International Art Exhibition at Fukuoka Art Museum in Japan.

1989

Commissioned by American Express Corporation, paints five-storey-tall masterpiece Source (19.52 × 3.66 m).

Participates in Fourth Asian International Art Exhibition at Seoul Metropolitan Museum of Art, Seoul.

1990

Taipei Fine Arts Museum mounts major retrospective exhibition and publishes accompanying catalogue.

1991

Receives Modern Painting Achievement Award from Chun-Shen Li Modern Painting Foundation in Taiwan.

1992

Invited to participate in Eastern Aesthetics and Modern Art Symposium at Taipei Fine Arts Museum. In response, pens essay, “First Differentiate, Then Seek Excellence: Solving the Dilemma of Chinese Painting,” on theories of art pedagogy, published in two parts in Taiwan Shin Sheng Daily News on May 17 and 24.

Retrospective of 60-year-old Liu Kuo-sung opens at Taiwan Museum of Art (today National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts) in Taichung, Taiwan.

Retires from CUHK in October, moves to Taichung, Taiwan and joins Department of Fine Arts at Tunghai University as Visiting Professor.

1995

Participates in Twentieth Century Chinese Painting: Tradition and Innovation at Hong Kong Museum of Art. Show subsequently travels to British Museum in London, Singapore Art Museum and Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst in Cologne.

Participates in Chinese Ink: Taiwan Contemporary Ink Painting Exhibition at Centre Culture et d’Information de Taïwan à Paris in Paris.

1996

Appointed inaugural head of Fine Arts Research Institute at Tainan National College of the Arts (today Tainan National University of the Arts), Tainan.

National Museum of History, Taipei, mounts An Exhibition of Liu Kuo-sung’s Art and Its Studies. To accompany the show, NMH publishes art historian Hsiao Chong-ray’s Liu Kuo-sung Research and Selected Essays on Liu Kuo-sung, edited by artist Chun-yi Lee.

Chen Lusheng’s Liu Kuo-sung: A Critical Biography published in Nanning by Guangxi Fine Arts Publishing House.

1998

Only artist from Taiwan invited to participate in China—5000 Years at Guggenheim Museum New York and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

German university textbook Brücken und Brüche: Chinas Malerei im 20. Jahrhundert (Bridges and Fractures: China’s Painting in the Twentieth Century), authored by Professor Ursula Toyka-Fuong of University of Bonn and published by Edition Global, features Liu’s painting Lofty Zigzag on its cover and includes discussion of Liu’s influence on evolution of contemporary Chinese painting.

Liu’s collection of essays Eternal Obsession published by Shandong Pictorial Publishing House.

At invitation of German Cultural Institute, travels through Europe and participates in Vision 2000: Contemporary Chinese Paintings and Sculpture.

1999

Invited to hold solo show Universe is My Heart at Chung-shan National Gallery in National Dr Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.

Anthology Taiwan Critical Writing: Liu Kuo-sung by Hsiao Chong-Ray and Lin Po-shin, published by Artist Publishing Co. in Taipei.

Invited to Paris to create Poetry in Painting prints collection. Publishes book with six poems specially written for this collection by Taiwan poet Yu Kwang-chung. Calligraphy on cover is by Nanjing-born calligrapher Chang Long-Yien.

2000

Invited to lecture at Tibet University in Lhasa. Visits Mount Everest and later loses hearing in left ear.

Between 2000 and 2001 makes several visits to Jiuzhaigou in China’s Sichuan province. Moved by the landscape’s beauty, starts to experiment with new techniques to create Jiuzhaigou series.

Liu Kuo-sung—Yu Kwang-chung: Reflexion and Elegance published by Hebei Education Publishing House.

2001

Solo exhibition Opening Up New Land in the West of China: Liu Kuo-sung at Chengdu Art Museum.

2002

Solo show The Universe in the Mind: A Retrospective of Liu Kuo-sung at 70 travels to NAMOC in Beijing, Shanghai Art Museum in Shanghai, and Guangdong Museum of Art in Guangzhou.

Awarded Outstanding Alumni Award by National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU).

2004

Major retrospective exhibition Liu Kuo-sung: A Universe of His Own at Hong Kong Museum of Art.

Invited to CUHK as Visiting Scholar.

Named Honorary Professor by Tainan National University of the Arts.

Liu’s painting The Metaphysics of Rocks and his theoretical writings are included in university textbook Modern East Asia: A Brief History, written by Conrad Schirokauer and published by Thomson in New Jersey.

2005

Invited by Michael Sullivan to participate in Modern Chinese Painting symposium at Oxford University.

Liu Kuo-sung: A Retrospective View at Singapore Tyler Print Institute.

Selected Writings on Art by Liu Kuo-sung, edited by Chun-yi Lee, published by Henan Fine Arts Publishing House.

2006

Nature from the Heart: Liu Kuo-sung Modern Ink Painting Exhibition travels from Zhejiang Provincial Museum and Zhejiang West Lake Gallery, both in Hangzhou, to Hunan Museum in Changsha.

Creates Zhangjiajie series, inspired by visit to Zhangjiajie in Hunan province. Large-scale landscape Tianzishan in Summer: Zhangjiajie Series No. 9 later collected by Palace Museum in Beijing.

Invited by Harvard University to deliver speech at New Chinese Paintings symposium.

2007

Retrospective The Universe in the Mind: 60 Years of Painting by Liu Kuo-sung takes place at Hall of Martial Valor (Wuying dian) at Palace Museum in Beijing.

Art historian Lin Mu’s monograph Liu Kuo-sung’s Path to Modern Chinese Painting published.

The Universe and My Heart: The Artistic Journey of Liu Kuo-sung, by Richard M. C. Chang and Elaine Suyu Liu, published by Taiwan Art & Collection Ltd.

2009

Retrospective The Universe in the Mind: 60 Years of Painting by Liu Kuo-sung travels to Hubei Provincial Museum, Ningxia Museum, Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing, and Yaming Art Museum in Hefei.

University Museum and Art Gallery of University of Hong Kong hosts The Universe in the Mind: Liu Kuo-sung’s Art and Thoughts, accompanied by catalogue by Chun-yi Lee.

Invited to teach at Southwest University and Sichuan Fine Arts Institute as Visiting Professor.

2010

The Universe is My Mind, organized by Goedhius, held at Carlton Hobbs in London. Painting Sun and Moon: Floating? Sinking? collected by British Museum.

Appointed Chair Professor at NTNU.

Awarded Honorary Doctorate by World Academy of Arts & Culture and World Congress of Poets.

2011

Liu Kuo-sung: An 80-year Retrospective mounted at NAMOC, Beijing.

Honored with “Award for Lifetime Achievement” at China Arts Awards organized by Chinese National Academy of Arts, Beijing.

Hsiao Chong-Ray’s The Spirit of Ink Painting: A Biography of Liu Kuo-sung published by Taiwan Vista Publishing.

2012

A Man of East, West, South and North: Liu Kuo-sung 80th Birthday Retrospective at National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.

Invited to participate in Second Chinese Painting Biennial of Hangzhou.

2013

Permanent Liu Kuo-sung Modern Ink Art Gallery, featuring more than 80 works, opens at Shandong Museum in Jinan, Shandong province.

2014

Revolution | Renaissance: The Art of Liu Kuo-sung opens at Taipei Museum of History. Later tours Southeast Asia.

Presented with “Outstanding Artist” award by Asia Society in Hong Kong.

2015

Touring exhibition Revolution | Renaissance: The Art of Liu Kuo-Sung travels to Singapore MoCA@LOEWEN, National Museum of Indonesia, Jakarta, and Museum of Contemporary Art, Bangkok.

Invited by Stanford University and China National Academy of Arts to present lecture “Echoes of Art and Science: Creative Exploration of the Universe” with Stanford University Physics Professor Peter Michelson.

2016

Echo of the Universe: Ink Art of Liu Kuo-sung mounted at China Art Museum in Shanghai.

Becomes first Chinese artist to be named Foreign Honorary Member by American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Awarded Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon by President of Taiwan.

2017

Awarded 36th “National Cultural Award” in Taiwan.

Retrospective Exhibition of Liu Kuo-sung’s Works of Art opens at Shandong Museum in Jinan.

Participates in Boundless: Ongoing Chinese Ink Art 2017 at Art Museum of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Chongqing.

Special exhibition A Tribute to Liu Kuo-sung organized by The Ink Society in Hong Kong at Ink Asia.

The Weight of Lightness: Ink Art at M+ includes painting Clear Mind Clear Seeing (1965), part of M+ collection.

2018

Appointed inaugural Dean of newly-founded Academy of Contemporary Ink Art at Shanghai Institute of Visual Art.

2019

Inaugural Liu Kuo-sung Ink Art Award co-presented in Hong Kong by the Liu Kuo-sung Foundation and The Ink Society.

To the Moon—Liu Kuo-sung mounted at Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts.

A Man of East, West, South and North: A Biography of Liu Kuo-sung, the Father of Modern Ink Painting by Richard M. C. Chang and Elaine Suyu Liu published by Yuan-Liou Publishing, Taipei.

2020

Catalogue for Longing for Nature: Reading Landscapes in Chinese Art at Museum Rietberg in Zürich features Snow on its cover.

2021

Second Liu Kuo-sung Ink Art Award co-presented in Hong Kong by the Liu Kuo-sung Foundation and The Ink Society. Ceremony conducted online due to Covid-19.

2022

Teh Chun Art Gallery of NTNU mounts Forging New Paths in Ink: An Exhibition of Liu Kuo-sung Documents from the 1940s to the 1980s.

Special Liu Kuo-sung Ink Art Award (2022) held at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, with Hung Fai Gold Award Winner.

2023

Liu Kuo-sung: Experimentation as Method opens at National Gallery Singapore.

Awarded Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts by NTNU.

Third Liu Kuo-sung Ink Art Award co-presented in Hong Kong by the Liu Kuo-sung Foundation and The Ink Society.

2024

Newly reopened National Museum of History collaborates with National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute, Taipei branch, to stage special exhibition Fifth Moon and Ton-Fan: The Birth of the Modernist Art Movement in Taiwan. Liu’s 1970 work Midnight Sun showcased. Additionally, oral history film Liu Kuo-sung and the Fifth Moon Group, produced by the Liu Kuo- sung Foundation, screened. The film presents Liu’s perspective on founding and development of Fifth Moon Group and role in emergence of modern art movement in Taiwan in 1950s and 60s.

2025

Fourth Liu Kuo-sung Ink Art Award co-presented in Hong Kong by the Liu Kuo-sung Foundation and The Ink Society.

Liu Kuo-sung’s work featured in Fernando Zóbel: Order is Essential at National Gallery Singapore. Among works on view is Liu’s Lofty Zigzag, a representative painting from the 1960s, formerly in Zóbel’s personal collection.