Chen De-wang was born in Eiraku-chou (Eiraku District, now Deehua Street), Taipei City in 1910. In 1925, Chen enrolled in Taipei First Junior High School. In 1927, Chen entered Taiwan Painting Institution and received instructions from Ishikawa Kinichiro. Chen’s father though of educating him to become a physician, yet Chen was too devoted to painting and eventually with his uncle-in-law’s encouragement, Chen went overseas to study painting in Japan. Chen stayed in Japan for twelve years. He chose not to enter any academic to study painting and decided to learn from among different art institutions. He was under the instructions of art gurus such as Yasui Sotaro and Yoshimura Yoshimatsu. Chen De-wang’s unique personality and his insistence on paintings could be perceived from his activities during his study in Japan. Chen established MOUVE Artists’ Society, Taiwan Modeling Art Association, and Era Art Association with his peers. He also worked as an art teacher. Painting was his lifelong career, and he painted with a rational objective concept that handed down from Paul Cezanne, with a spirit for creativity, and with a deliberate attitude. In 1973, after he retired from his teaching position, he began to live a secluded life and focused on paintings. He researched into western painting theories, and had his unique interpretations for figures and colors. His artwork featured brisk colors and abundant musical elements.

The current work presents a typical style in Chen De-wang last years which returns every element to its most simple status. With images almost deviate from its own figure, a main hue decorated with blue and green, and the simple strokes to pile up a painting fill with the verve. The painting, like a musical movement, briskly and vividly, celebrating spring.

Originally planned to follow his respected predecessors to study painting in Japan, Chen De-wang felt the agitation of situation. At the time, Tokyo School of Fine Arts annihilated its subsidy system for students and there were no longer scholarships provided to Taiwanese students. Therefore Chen decided not to enter art school and learned at his will from among major art institutes. Chen entered Hongo Painting Studies Classroom and Kawabata Art School to study sketch in 1931. In 1932, Chen entered the “Nikakai of Tokyo” to study and became familiar with Kumagai Morikazu. A year later (1933), Chen transferred to Tsuda Gajuku (Tsuda Private Painting School) to learn from Yasui Sotaro and Kaneda Aokaede. In 1936, Chen was introduced to Yoshimura Yoshimatsu by Li Shih-chiao and Li Mei-shu. Afterwards, he stayed in Yoshimura Private Painting School and studied for three years. In 1938, Chen De-wang rented a house in Sakurai to start his independent art career. Chen returned to Taiwan in 1941 and ended his twelve years of learning in Japan. During 1929 to 1941 when Chen De-wang studied by himself in Japan, his artwork were selected by “Taiwan Fine Arts Exhibitions” and “Taiwan Governmental Fine Arts Exhibitions.” His 1935 work Nude Woman Lying Face Up won him the Asahi Prize of the Western Painting Section in the 9th “Taiwan Fine Arts Exhibition.” Besides participating in exhibitions, Chen also organized art associations together with his painter friends. After his retirement in 1937, Chen began his secluded life and refused to engage at any social activity. Chen shut his door and moved toward a painting style solely originated from his own research.