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Artist Cheng Mei-chu smiles in front of her painting, which depicts her beloved hometown of Penghu, during the inauguration ceremony of her exhibition at the CKS Memorial Hall in Taipei.

Taiwan News

Persons with real talent should never feel shame nor recoil when confronted with adversity, said local painter Cheng Mei-chu yesterday at a joint exhibition that will run until April 14 at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei.

Born with Lamellar ichthyosis, a rare genetic skin disorder, Cheng's paintings are on exhibit together with those of another artist, Chen Ching-sheng, an aboriginal painter who is battling against cancer.

Cheng, 43, has held 27 solo exhibitions since she began painting 17 years ago, her works numbering more than 300.

Most of her paintings are set in her hometown of Penghu, with a variety of subjects depicted in vivid colors. Human and fish-shaped clouds, dexterous cats, women in scarves, and winged angels come alive with the tranquility and warmth found among the people of Penghu in her paintings.

"I was lucky to be born in Penghu, where the pace of life is slower, and the people hospitable," she said at yesterday's opening ceremony. "My humane side might be concealed beneath my appearance, but others eventually see that side."

Lamellar ichthyosis is a very rare disorder where an infant is born covered with a transparent membrane which sheds to reveal red scaly skin patches of varying sizes; the disorder is present throughout life. Cheng said she did not think herself different from other people because she knew that a free soul overcomes any challenge blown up by a troubled and narrow mind.

"A talented person is not qualified to be ashamed of herself," she said, her eyes always teary and red due to the disorder. "My dream is to build a museum in Penghu to let more people know about its beauty."

Chen Ching-sheng, the other artist whose works are featured at the exhibition, was born in Guangdong but moved to Taiwan 18 years ago. The culture and ancient traditions of Taiwan's 12 aboriginal tribes are the subjects of most of his paintings.

The main organizer of the joint exhibition is Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Education Foundation for the Concern of Human Life, a charity dedicated to providing care for children with cancer and other serious diseases. The foundation each year gives "Love of Life Awards" to 12 recipients chosen from local and international participants judged to have manifested optimism and passion in conquering life's adversities.

The foundation announced this year's 12 recipients at yesterday's exhibition opening. Besides Cheng, the other awardees included the world's first paralyzed psychologist Daniel Gottlieb, legless mountaineer Mark Inglis, and nine others.

Chou Chin-huar, who founded the foundation after his son's death of cancer 12 years ago, said many people may wonder where to find the values in one's life. "One has to learn how to love. The foundation looks for role models around the world, and sometimes these life fighters are just around us," he said.