Solo Exhibition by Oscar Tsai – On the Road

On the Road, We Are Forever Young, Forever Tears in Our Eyes - Jack Kerouac


Over the past few years, I've been intermittently painting a series of figures from behind, set against a grand landscape. The figures are either standing or walking in a certain direction. The back of a figure captivates me more than the front. I've often pondered the reason. Looking back on my creative career over the past decade, I recall my first illustration in college: a colored pencil drawing of a man in a black coat and black-framed glasses, walking on a winding road with no end in sight. Perhaps, the figures from behind in these paintings are all reflections of myself, and I'm still walking that same road.


"On the Road" uses the journeys of the characters in the paintings to rethink the real journey of life. Perhaps, we can all discover something along the way.


A traveler keeps moving forward in pursuit of the blue sky in the distance. Legend has it that at the end of the road, under that blue sky, lies the meaning of life. Where did this legend come from, and when did the traveler set out on his journey? Even he himself could not remember. He just kept walking and walking, passing through cities, wildernesses, mountains and deserts. When he finally arrived under that blue sky after going through all the hardships, he gained nothing but himself. But at that moment, he understood the so-called meaning of life.