Iutian TSAI

Born: 1968,, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Education: Department of Fine Arts, Tunghai University (Mentor: Chiang Hsun)

Tsai Iutian graduated from the Department of Fine Arts at Tunghai University under the tutelage of Chiang Hsun. While working at the National Tsing Hua University Art Center during the curatorial period, he explored the space and time context positioning of artistic creations. Tsai also served as a community planner engaged in overall community building and experienced the subtle relationship of interaction between humans and the environment, which prompted him to work on public art projects.

Notable Works

His prominent works in Taiwan include:

Public art in front of the Administration Building at National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu City

Smart Cloud Public Art in the New Tech Lights Area at the 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival

Land Art in Shitan Section of the 2019 Taiwan Romantic Route 3 Art Festival, organized by the Hakka Affairs Council

Tsai visited a Vipassana Meditation Center in India and a Manjughosha Buddhist Camp in London for meditation, exploring the mystery of internal and external energetic balance. Inspired by mentor Chiang Hsun’s literary writing, Tsai created a large-scale sculpture titled “Flow with the Spirit of Water”.

This public art became the first in Taiwan to garner the Platinum A' Design Award in the Arts, Crafts, and Ready-Made Design Category in 2020. The jury praised the design as reaching a level of exemplary perfection. The award is presented to the top 1% of artistic talents and is promoted in 109 languages across 195 countries.

Artistic Philosophy

Tsai states that the confused thoughts of crowds and the visible and invisible chaotic energy in space may cause irritation. His Flow Art Sculpture has a transformative function: by guiding, purifying negative energy, and strengthening positive energy (“chi”) of a space, his sculptures help viewers focus on active, pleasant, and peaceful outcomes. The subtle environmental shift guides the observer toward balance between inner and external energy.

In early 2022, Tsai participated in a one-month residency project in Chishang, organized by the Taiwan Good Foundation. During this period, he immersed himself in local customs and experimented with simple ink tools, moving beyond large-scale stainless steel public art.

Living alone in an old farmhouse next to the Longziwei rice paddies, Tsai drew inspiration from the natural energies surrounding him. He explored ways to see through the superficial and express the essence of feelings rather than merely reproducing visual observations.

Tsai’s work, Flow with the Mindfulness of Living, emphasizes connecting with nature to rediscover life’s passion and original intent. During the residency, he created ink using clear spring water mixed with pine smoke, allowing minimal “control” to let water, ink, paper, and brush interact naturally, achieving a state of mindfulness and self-forgetting in the creative process.

Selected Honors and Exhibitions

• 2023 – International Confederation of Art Critics Award, London Art Biennale
• 2023 – Best Sculpture Award Winner, Art Expo, New York
• 2022 – In the Flow of the Spirit Solo Exhibition, River Art Gallery, Taichung City, Taiwan
• 2020–2021 – Art Taipei, Taipei City, Taiwan
• 2020 – Mood Museum of Design, Como, Italy