Water Buffalo – A Brief Introduction
The sculpture “Water Buffalo” was created by Huang Tu-Shui, a celebrated sculptor in Taiwan. Born on July 3, 1895 in Mengjia (known as Wanhua District in Taipei City today), Huang was a student at Dadaocheng Elementary School (now Taiping Elementary School), where he exposed outstanding achievements in his art classes, earning him both praise and special guidance from his teachers. By the recommendation of school officials, Huang gained admission to the Tokyo Fine Arts School, becoming the first Taiwanese artist to study abroad. Upon graduation, he continued to pursue advanced studies and became an expert in the area of sculpture.
Huang’s work exhibits genuine craftsmanship. In October 1920, his work “Mountain Child Playing Flute” was well-received at the Japanese Imperial Exhibition, garnering him good reputation in Japan’s art world. During the same exhibition in 1930, Huang put all his energy into creating his bas-relief “Water Buffalo”. This sculpture is 205cm high and 550cm wide: his living quarters were far too small, so he set up a workroom in his backyard to accommodate the work. Its composition, while exacting, is also majestic and imposing. It displays a magnificent skill and is clearly one of his generation’s greatest masterpieces. However, in the same year, Huang was diagnosed with peritonitis due to constant overwork.
Huang suddenly passed away on December 26 at the young age of 36, and many mourned the loss of a great talent. Following his death, his wife Liao Chiu-Gui presented his latest work as a gift to Zhongshan Hall, where it’s been permanently hang onto the wall in front of Guangfu Auditorium for visitors to enjoy.