Taipei Travel

A Female Muslim Artist

Manli Chao’s Outlook on the Artistic Life

Article｜Gao Suiping

Photos｜Huang Jianbin

Up close, the color and variety is riveting. From a distance, the appearance is one of endless rings. The artwork of U.S.-based Manli Chao (張曼麗) – of squares and circles extending into infinity – employs a sophisticated technique and a unique sense of aesthetics to express how all living things in the universe have their own independent space. With the flow of time and evolution has come an awareness of the recurrent nature of the cycle of life, and a harmonious, inclusive worldview on what it means. “From the natural order of the universe comes order in life” (取法天地，乃成規矩) – Manli Chao’s brush reflects the unity of man and nature, following the Eastern Daoist philosophy of nature.

▲Manli Chao uses squares and circles to express recurrence in the cycle of life. (Photos: Huang Jianbin)

Eastern Philosophy meets Western Technique – Works both Tranquil and Elegant

Chao has loved painting since childhood, but she never received any formal art education in Taiwan. It was only after moving to New York at age 27 that she entered a fine-arts program, enrolling at Queens College. While drinking in the “eye to hand” aesthetic taught by her professors, she allowed her subconscious free reign and dedicated herself to improving her technique, with her own unique style gradually emerging.

Having grown up in a military dependents’ village in Taiwan, then having lived on both coasts of the United States for 30 years, Chao has an intimate lifelong experience with the cultural spheres of different ethnic groups. This has cultivated an open and inclusive worldview in her thinking. After marriage, she converted to her husband’s faith, Islam, and, in accordance with the doctrine of aniconism, images of Allah, Muhammad, and other sentient beings are proscribed. This was not contrary to the philosophical boundaries Chao herself had long adhered to, and, moreover, she found that the religious interpretations espoused in the Koran made a deep impact on her creative principles. Combining the tenets of Eastern religious philosophy with the techniques of the West, she produces works of abstract creative style that are both tranquil and elegant.

▲Chao’s abstract painting style is deeply influenced by both Eastern philosophy and Western technique. (Photos: Huang Jianbin)
 

Taipei’s Eclectic Harmony– Brimming with Creative Nutrients

When she returned to her Taiwan home in 2011, Chao decided on Taipei as her creative base. She believes that Taipei’s modern and stylish Xinyi Planning District (信義計畫區), and the cultural heritage of the old city in Dadaocheng (大稻埕) and other west-side areas, make a powerful demonstration of the harmony and synergy of modern and traditional in this city’s landscape. The multicolored neon signage embellishes local urban aesthetics, and the cafes resident in every nook and cranny provide free-time oases where denizens can sneak away for a respite from the hectic pace of the metropolis. Each element in the grand city mosaic is worthy of her patient savoring, and provides Chao with an endless wellspring of creative nutrients.

In 2016 the government launched the New Southbound Policy. Chao says that for Taipei, an internationally renowned capital, each and every move affects the international image of Taiwan, and she recommends that future plans be formulated with Islamic art exhibitions as a possibility. Muslim artists from across the globe could be brought together for cooperation and cross-pollination. Such artistic and cultural exchanges would address the misunderstandings and stereotypes that of accompany race and religion, and highlight Taiwan’s respect and tolerance for different ethnic groups, while promoting the New Southbound Policy and its goals.