Li Fangzhi, one of the founders of the Fifth Moon Art Group, passed away in Switzerland on December 19, 2020, at the age of 87.
Taiwanese painter Liu Guosong and National Taiwan Normal University alumni Guo Yu Lun, Kuo Tong Rong, and Li Fangzhi were encouraged by Professor Liao Chi-Chun to establish the Fifth Moon Art Group in 1957. They held the first “May Painting Exhibition” in Zhongshan Hall on May 10th of that year. Under the name “May”, one is scheduled to be exhibited in May each year, and the other is taken from the experimental essence of “May Salon” in Paris, France. Because they intend to continue the experimental essence of the “May Salon”, concepts like bold innovation, freedom, and the avant-garde are inherited. At the beginning, the Fifth Moon Group followed in the footsteps of Westernism in an attempt to fully westernize. They later found that after blindly following the trend of Western Modernization, they gradually lost themselves. They began to self reflect, seeking for a combination of Chinese and Western traditions, as they tried to integrate the modern art form of the East and West with the “spirit” of Chinese art that had been retained in ancient times. Both the Tong Fang Painting Association and the Fifth Moon Group are known as important modern art groups in the history of Taiwan art.
Born in Taipei in 1933, Li Fangzhi met Swiss artist Hans Brun (1939-2013) during his studies. The two like-minded people soon fell in love and got married. He also left Paris and settled in Switzerland.
Li Fangzhi’s paintings master the lyrical writing characteristics of Chinese literary people who naturally express their inner feelings using their own Chinese literary heritage to create a unique style of painting. Her works are mainly watercolor and oil paintings, but both preserve the traditional ink painting method. She likes to use thicker rice paper to depict abstract watercolors and is accustomed to painting with calligraphic lines first and then with transparent watercolor. The vivid lines, clear colors, flexibility, and stability makes her paintings intriguing.
Photo courtesy of the artist’s family
