Ju Ming, a famed sculptor in Taiwan who made his mark in Taiwan’s art history with his sculptures “T’ai chi” in 1976, passed away at his home on Saturday. Ju’s art work inspired many and was always centered around humanity.
Ju, in an interview with CTS before his passing, said that he came from an impoverished family in Tonghsiao, Miaoli. Being the youngest of 11 siblings, he said his mother had to work during the night and he always wanted to grow up faster to help out.
Starting out as a woodcarver, Ju said he always wanted to elevate his skills. He went to then famed sculptor Yang Ying-feng (楊 英風), who advised him to change his name from Ju Chuan-tai (朱川泰) to Ju ming.
Yang was invited to hold an exhibit at a museum but told the museum that they should put Ju’s artworks up insead. This incident gave Ju an opportunity to demonstrate his talent to the world with the iconic sculpture series ‘T’ai chi.’ in which he carved steel, bronze, and wood into human forms. The artwork was a huge success and Ju went on to gain acclaim with more series of sculptures.
Ju is survived by his wife and two children.