Chen’s acrylic paintings started in 1986, trying to break the limitations of the prints. In contrast to the fluid visual effects achieved by the washes and brush movements of ink paintings, in acrylic paintings, greater attention is given to the balanced layer of brushstrokes and textures. The kind of the materials one uses influences the formal expression and the mood. In his acrylic paintings, he alternated among countless square and round shapes, putting them through many free transformations. Practice from handling complex relationships between forms and colors directly helped Chen later on. When in his older years he started welding scrap iron into sculptures, combining many disparate parts. Therefore, Chen’s ink paintings and acrylic paintings may be said to have served as an important ground where he prepared for his late works in sculpture.
