ICONS & IDENTITIES: MASTERPIECES OF PORTRAITURE

EXHIBITION ORGANISED BY THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON

TOURING THE WORLD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 160 YEARS

Icons and Identities: Masterpieces of Portraiture, a “once-in-a-generation opportunity”, will exhibit treasures from the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection. Currently closed until 2023 as part of its Inspiring People redevelopment project, treasures from the Collection have been able to leave the UK in the grandest exhibition of this scale since the Gallery’s establishment over 160 years ago.

The art of portraiture has always delved into the experience of human life; even with the rapid development of photography and new media, it has not deviated from this core characteristic. Portraiture features ‘a sense of encounter with another individual’ and the artist, playing the intermediary role, intrigues our curiosity about the life and identity of the portrayed sitter.

This exhibition provides a rare opportunity to enjoy over 70 portraits from the last 500 years, including a number of artworks from the CHIMEI Museum’s own collection. This exhibition, instead of being curated in chronological order, is divided into six thematic sections—‘Self-portrait’, ‘Fame’, ‘Identity, ‘Love and Loss’, ‘Power’ and ‘Innovation’. These themes enable visitors to examine the diverse meanings of portraits.

This exhibition is a special event to celebrate the 30th-anniversary of the CHIMEI Museum. We invite you to come and meet these characters who have influenced Britain and enriched the world over the past 500 years. Come and engage in a visual dialogue with these remarkable portraits, while embarking on a journey of self-reflection. Through this collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery in London, CHIMEI Museum also hopes to engage in a wider global community and bring cultural vitality to the museums in Taiwan.

CHIMEI MUSEUM

2022.08.27-2023.02.28

EXHIBITION