Li Mei-Shu

TAIWAN, New Taipei City

Li Mei-Shu was a painter from Sanxia, Taipei (present day New Taipei City). He went to Japan in 1928 to further his education and matriculated into the Tokyo University of the Arts the following year, studying oil painting under Nagahara Kotaro, Kikkawa Yoshimatsu, and Okada Saburosuke. During his time in Japan, Li visited over 20 temples in Kyoto and Nara, including Yakushiji Temple, Horyuji Temple, and Toji Temple. He painted a collection of 62 Buddhist images that included Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and the Four Heavenly Kings.
Upon his return to Taiwan in 1934, Li established the Tai-Yang Art Society with Yang San-Lang, a fellow artist. In 1945, he painted portraits of Sun Yat-Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek under the commission of the local government. Li later devoted himself to the reconstruction of Sanxia Zushi Temple in New Taipei City, turning it into a unique temple art museum that became known as the “Hall of the Orient.” Statues of the Four Heavenly Kings and reliefs illustrating the Buddha teaching the Dharma were based on Li’s sketches and sculpted by students from National Taiwan University of Arts. He was appointed to various positions of several arts institutions within Taiwan. In 1982, he held a retrospective exhibition at the Taipei History Museum, and published Paintings of Li Mei-Shu. Throughout his career, several of his works received special awards in the Taiwan Provincial Fine Arts Exhibition.