TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The India Taipei Association (ITA) will open a Chinese ink painting exhibit in partnership with the National Central Library featuring a collection Hua Niao paintings (花鳥畫) by Harsha Dass, the wife of ITA Director General Gourangalal Das.

The exhibition, titled “From Strokes to Shapes: My Three-year Brush with Taiwan,” will run from July 7-14 on the first floor of the National Central Library. It spotlights everything Dass has learned as a student of this art genre. It also serves as a personal tribute to Taiwan, her home for the past three years, the ITA said.

Dass took an interest in Chinese ink painting after meeting and practicing with renowned painter Jyn-Tzy Wang (王智子), who is dedicated to preserving the rich legacy of traditional techniques and skills. Following India’s guru-shishya tradition, Dass said she studied with Wang, learning her brushstrokes, materials, and techniques, as well as the philosophy behind the art.

“The paintings brought together my love for language, history, and the arts, giving me immense joy and peace, and serving as a prism through which I will continue to view and project Taiwan to others,” Dass said.

“As we prepare to bid farewell to this land and its people, they are a personal tribute to you for filling my life with the fragrance of flowers and the chirping of birds,” she added.

Hua Niao paintings originated in the Tang Dynasty and include drawings of flowers, fish, insects, birds, and pets such as dogs and cats. Though the style depicts natural scenery, it can also convey the personality and ideas of the artist. Different types of birds and flowers symbolize auspicious meanings, scholarly and human virtues, and principles.