In September of last year, I came across a limited edition postmark: “40 years of Doraemon” postmarked September 20.

It occurred to me that postmarks could be quite whimsical. I googled some background information and found out that typically, the inked stamp not only marks the time and date, but may also contain an illustration that marks and commemorates an event.

At around that time, there was a palpable and growing atmosphere surrounding the approach of the National Centennial. I was taken by a mood of retrospection that triggered a desire to pluck out specific memories that I could use to participation in this celebration; for instance, a recollection of the sea of national flags that were hung outside every building for every holiday and festival when I was growing up.

Though I lack the passion for discussions about topics of national imagination such as “identity,” I do feel passionate about phenomenological thoughts and descriptions relating to the “Republic of China,” and the parenthetical (。) that belongs to me.

"Phenomenon Tracing - Happy Birthday Republic of China" was inspired by 10 limited edition post office postmarks commemorating events related to New Year's activities. The illustrations within the postmarks were digitally reproduced and then output onto tracing paper and intuitively replicated, transferred or re-drawn in an attempt to show some understanding of phenomenology.


In the work "Phenomenon Flag", I used a hand-painted postcard depicting a flag, and a limited edition postmark as the main text. On the bottom right corner of the postcard is the word “Taiwan” in Braille, to express the tangible, though unspeakable nature of the parenthetical in the prevalent wording "Republic of China (Taiwan)" seen in marketing materials.

For me, "postcards" are a quotidian object used for communication – both with oneself and with others. A simple, neat, discrete and unobtrusive method of inscribing immediate sentiments, it is a sketch that occurs at a specific juncture where axis of an individual life intersects the space-time dimension.

The value of a postmark is in the cancellation of a postage stamp. The postage stamps depicting the pandas “Tuan Tuan” and “Yuan Yuan” were a main component for postmarking. Postage stamps issued throughout this calendar year, and my digitally-created personal commemorative stamp for the Year of the Rabbit, have been used here to collect and present all of the limited edition postmarks for the year.

Phenomenal Bug includes two works:

“Myrmexocentrus quadrimaculatus. (Our Natiional Pride)” includes a colored pencil sketch of a specimen of the beetle Myrmexocentrus quadrimaculatus. This sketch was digitized and then enlarged to a hundred times its actual size, along with digitally created images of humans with dragonfly wings, and outputted onto laser printed photo paper. It is a metaphor for “Taiwan’s Pride – Number 40 Jersey”.

“The Myrmexocentrus quadrimaculatus as transliterated onto a postage stamp” outputs a sketch of the beetle specimen, described above, onto a sheet of special commemorative stamps of the beetle, issued in January of this year. “Resurrecting a dead specimen through symbolism” is a metaphor about a metaphor.


“Phenomenal Flower Expo” consists of three works:

“Hundred-Day Countdown to the Flower Expo” and “Tracing of the Flower Expo” The 2010 Taipei International Flora Expo was a mammoth and colorful event. The announcements were plentiful; the expo eagerly awaited my presence. But when I actually stepped foot into the venue, the crowds overwhelmed and diluted whatever carefully constructed aestheticism had been originally intended in the layout plan. And so, with expectations dashed, I stood at the entrance and enjoyed the sight of people attempting to capture memories.

“Untitled Flower Expo” is based on the five thematic postmarks at the temporary post office within the Flower Expo venue, respectively depicting the Pavilion of Dreams, Pavilion of the Future, Pavilion of Angelic Life, Pavilion of Floral Teas, and Pavilion of Healthy Regimen. Art cards were created by digitizing photographs, models or web images.

Maximum Card or Maxicard is a postcard with a postage stamp on the picture side of the card, where image on the stamp corresponds to the image on the card. In most cases the postmark graphic is also related to the image on the postcard and stamp. “Project Maxicard” is made up of hand-sketched postcards and limited edition postmarks. It is a light sketch and simple statement that attempts to narrate a project of personal and collective memories. Each letter of the alphabet from A to Z represent a year’s time.


"Maxicard Project A – Ode to the Republic of China (Taiwan)” is a starting point of this project. This exhibition is presented in a state of progress.