A woman who’d become a well-known artist, despite her sight condition, from the Newspapers, translated…
There were, so many colorful murals on the multiple stores or organizations in Lanyu, and, all of these artistic work came from the woman who married to Lanyu, Du; she had no training in art or painting whatsoever, her talents were discovered, for the mural she’d painted for a close relative’s storefront, in these past two years, she’d gotten invited to paint all over the island of Lanyu, she’d created the art from her mind, sharing the beauties of Lanyu she saw with others.
the woman, working on a mural…
Du’s “life of colors” came from her own doodling while she as studying in school. Du was from Hualien, with half of the indigenous tribe, Bunon bloodline, she’d never taken any art lessons, and her artistic talents began in her first year of middle school, because she couldn’t see the blackboard in class, and she’d turned her head toward the pages before her, and started drawing.
She’d stated, “I’m not that good”, that every time she was asked to paint something, she’d felt pressures, but she loved painting, and is happy, doing what she loves, “I’m so glad, that someone saw my potential and discovered my talent!”
people working on a mural together…
Du came from a poor family that couldn’t give her the art lessons she’d needed or wanted to take, she’d taken up accounting in high school, so she could start working right out of high school, to help out with her family’s household finance, and, after she got married, she’d lived away from her hometown, and because she started teaching her niece to draw, her family and friends saw her talents and started asking her to paint the murals on the storefronts, the scenes of the local life in Lanyu.
“I was only trying to help soothe my homesickness through my art, not knowing, that my art would be loved by so many”, ever since, Du got invitations to paint the murals, and she’d, turned it into an occupation, she felt that it was, unimaginable she was able to, do this, and she’d poured her heart and soul into each mural she paints.
Six years ago, Du returned back to Lanyu to live permanently, the Lanyu that came from her paintbrush became more concrete, and more multi-dimensional, she kept getting better at painting, and continually got invited by the storefronts, to paint the walls outside of the shops, as well from the elementary schools and the local bed and breakfasts too.
beautifying the environment here…
Du was filled with gratitude, as she’d stated, “I’m grateful for every opportunity I received for painting murals, to allow me to get better in skill”.
But Du was insistent on never drawing the ships’ patterns and the human-shaped patterns, she said, “that, was a special mark of Lanyu, it has a cultural copyright, and we must all respect that.”
So, this woman used her artistic skills, to make the place she lives more colorful, more vibrant, she’s contributing to her local community, by making the local areas more attractive with her painted murals, she’s giving to her local community, in her own way…
Life, the Obstacle Course 