Heartbroken over damaged Jimmy Liao paintings—Frontier Mother Jiang Yuemei creates a new piece overnight

▲The familiar-looking painting was created overnight by an amateur mother who imitated the style of Jimmy Liao’s characters.

Reported by Chen Ziyin, Taitung

The tribe near Sanxiantai in Taitung—Bisili’an—gained media attention thanks to characters from Jimmy Liao’s illustrations, putting this small village on the map.However, one night, an intoxicated indigenous friend, in a fit of anger, painted over one of the 11 artworks. Although the incident left the village, nicknamed “Jimmy Liao Village,” with some regret, amateur artist Jiang Yuemei used her own painting to warmly mend the wound, adding a pure and innocent 11th piece. Jiang Yuemei said:“Originally, I could peek in and see the little girl clearly, but after it was painted over, I felt really sad. So I thought, I’ll just paint her back.”.”

 
 
▲One of the 11 characters inspired by Jimmy Liao’s works was painted over by a drunk resident, leaving only faint traces behind, which deeply saddened Jiang Yuemei.

Since the characters from Jimmy Liao’s stories moved into the small village, travelers have also started to step into the lives of the indigenous people. The naturally simple-hearted residents are still somewhat unaccustomed to this, and one even, in a drunken state, angrily painted over one of the murals—something that deeply saddened Jiang Yuemei. She said, “I kept thinking, should I paint or not? Should I paint or not? In the end, I decided to paint.” The kind-hearted Mommy Meiyue wanted to learn Jimmy Liao’s brushstrokes to paint another little girl, yet she was full of inner conflict. Even more surprising is that Jiang Yuemei, in order to finish quickly, completed her painting of the little girl from memory in just one night.

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Push open the door at the back of her steamed bun shop, and you’ll find a one-of-a-kind “creative studio.” One original painting after another never fails to amaze. With her passion for faith and art, she brings stories to life through her brush. “This widow may not have any money, but she donated all she had,” “This is a girl who loves to dance,” “This is a praying girl, she said…” Jiang Yuemei draws inspiration from stories in the Bible, using her own imagination and color choices. Her brushstrokes are simple, natural, and deeply moving.
 
 
▲The white wall of her small room also serves as Jiang Yuemei’s canvas.

“Ah, I just love to paint, I paint every day.” This amateur painter has never received any formal art training—can you believe it? With nothing but a passion for drawing, and echoing the same reluctance over the little girl being painted over, her simple and natural style remains forever in the hearts of travelers.


▲Jiang Yuemei has never received any formal art training, relying solely on her passion for painting—simple and natural.
 

▲Bisili’an’s leading sheep art installation.