Professional Artist: Wang Chieh After earning a PhD in Fine Arts from the University of Barcelona in Spain, Wang Chieh returned to Taiwan in 2003. He began using his distinctive watercolor style to document the people, places, and scenery of his hometown, Keelung—garnering widespread acclaim with his books *Hand-Painted Moments in Spain* and *An Artist’s Guide: A Short Trip Through Keelung*. Beyond his public art installations at the reconstructed Qidu Old Railway Station in Keelung, his work for a Microsoft advertising campaign—titled "Lives in the Windows"—became the only entry from Taiwan to be shortlisted at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity; it also won an award in the illustration category at the New York Festivals Advertising Awards and a Gold Award at the Times Advertising Awards. Nearly a decade after his return, Wang compiled his insights from years of plein-air watercolor painting into the book *Drawing Lessons on the Road*, which he describes as a summary of this particular phase of his career. Whenever Wang travels, he often picks up his brush to capture his surroundings. "In Spain, I used to do this as a pastime—what they call *pasar el tiempo*, or 'passing the time'." Finding this both engaging and meaningful, he began observing the Spanish landscape through his own senses, using paper, pen, and time to preserve the essence of the present moment.

Implemented by Department of Visual Arts
Date: 2026/09/17