1. Pushi painting DIY activity
2. Pushi dye DIY activity
3. Arts Hall guided tours
4. Art and Culture Exhibition Space
A. Pushi Art Studio
Hualien has the largest collection of rock and stone materials in Taiwan. It contains 80% of Taiwan's rock and stone materials.
"Pushi Painting" at Yuli Township used to be a class held at Yuli High School from 1974 in processing of stone materials. In the beginning, debris and left-over material from local rock processing factories were used, so the varieties were limited. Later, founding teacher Chiu Chuang discovered colorful igneous rocks and andesite on the riverbed near the town. The vibrant colors and unique patterns offer endless possibilities for creating new works. Therefore, these rocks were used as basic materials to create a unique artistic language.
As this type of rock art originated in Yuli and Yuli's old name was "Pushige" (lit. unhewn stone pavilion), and the materials used are natural rock found in nature, therefore it was named "Pushi Painting". "Pushi Painting" emphasizes "using the rock as a focus of thoughts". Rocks are broken up into smaller pieces and mounted to showcase their individual characteristics and distinctive aura.
After continuous exploring and research into the application of Pushi materials over the past 30 years, applications have been expanded to public art, garden landscapes, building walls, lifestyle arts and crafts, and interior decoration. Former president of Academia Sinica Yuan Tseh Lee expressed it thus: "Pushi Painting is the world's first local rock art creation."
In 2010, with the assistance of the Yuli Township Office, the "Pushi Arts Hall" was established,
classes were organized and DIY activities were offered. At the same time, artistic merchandize were also developed. "Pushi Painting" has brought forward a new trend in rock art creation.
B. Pushi Dye Studio
Dye art is a rich and vibrant, unique and layered art form which contains both intellectual and emotional elements. It is an artistic medium which is easy to learn but difficult to master, the emphasis is on the utilization of color and control of water saturation. The different styles include natural coloration, tie dye patterns, batik cracking etc. Each of these "color fantasies" show many abstract facets.
Each technique or each dyeing process produces a distinctive look according to the different dye intensity, color layers and dye durations. During production, the "unknown" element of tie dye, the "anticipation" in coloring and the sense of "wonder" after the product is revealed, all contribute to the captivating appeal of dye art.
In the small town of Yuli is the "Pushi Dye Studio". Visitors can relax here and experience the energy of creativity.
Indigo dye, plant dyes, rainbow dye, batik dye, stenciling, tulle print creation, as well as learning courses are all provided by the studio. DIY activities are also provided. The goal is to become a creative industry.
Husband and wife instructor team Chang Wen-wei and Lin Min-chue have studied dye art for many years.
Chang Wen-wei won the 2010 Annual Award from the Hualien County Cultural Affairs Bureau and an award for publishing local art information in the "fine arts" category. The studio's creative ideology references traditional artifacts from the past as well as passing down folk craft techniques.
Their perspective towards dye art is to create traditional yet modern pieces, they would rather fail when experimenting with new styles than stick blindly to the comfort of old techniques. The techniques used include a collaboration of tie dye, batik dye, stenciling, prints, hand prints etc. It is with this creative principle that they have embarked on a new path in the creation of dye art.