By Wei Ruyu, compiled and reported
Taiwan’s first art pieces created using human hair as the medium are now on display at the “Jinshui Special Exhibition Room” of the Gold Museum in the exhibition titled “Life as Art—Xu Yizong’s Hair Painting Exhibition.” The exhibition runs until May 6th. Don’t miss your chance to witness the magic of hair art if you’re curious about it.
The creator of hair paintings, Xu Yizong, previously worked in the hairdressing industry while researching artistic creation using human hair. In 1995, he successfully elevated hair styling into an art form, developing a globally unique technique for hair painting. These artworks may resemble oil paintings from afar, but up close, every single strand of hair is distinct. The preparatory work is complex, including sorting collected hair by texture and thickness, dyeing it, and requiring full concentration during the painting process—once hair strands are implanted into the board, there is no room for correction or mistakes. Damaging the board or misplacing a strand means starting over. After implanting millions of strands, each piece also undergoes trimming, blow-drying, and combing. Each hair painting takes more than half a year to complete.
Xu Yizong, the creator of hair paintings, said this is a challenge never before attempted, and he wants to prove that Taiwanese people can also achieve remarkable artistic excellence. (Photo provided by Gold Museum)
This exhibition showcases 14 carefully crafted works by Xu Yizong, including “Jiufen” depicting the city lights at dusk, “Yin-Yang Sea” highlighting the contrast between mountains and sea, “African Savanna” emphasizing the unity of human and animal life, the inspiration-driven “Dance of the Spirit,” and the gracefully posed “Sleeping Beauty,” among others. Xu Yizong said that what he wants to emphasize in his hair painting art is not technical skill, but rather the message that “hair painting is a painting of humanity.” Every strand of hair carries the DNA of its owner, making it unique and full of life. If countless strands represent all living beings, then a hair painting becomes a small universe. By using the element of life—hair—as the medium, he hopes to highlight the true, good, and beautiful aspects of humanity through human-centered creation, and encourages viewers to understand his original intent—to not limit oneself and to inspire the true value of life.
● Read more: Japanese Living National Treasure Nakagawa Mamoru holds his first exhibition in Taiwan
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