An Inᴛι̇ɱate Conversation with Pigo Lin: Delving into His Sen.suous Perspective on Art

In two earlier articles

As emphasized on our blog, the Asians have traditionally had a special relationship with erotic art. The young Taiwanese artist Pigo Lin (1984) proves that this is not only limited to ancient Japan, China and India. ..

we already paid attention to the fascinating art of Pigo Lin

Pigo Lin is a 35 year old Taiwanese artist whose evocative erotic art attracts an ever increasing fan base. On his Instagram page he describes his work as soft erotic art, in which he mixes elements of ɱaпga, pop..

(1984). His unique visual language is in line with the aesthetic mission of Shunga

What is Shunga? Uncover the captivating world of this ancient Japanese erotic art form at ShungaGallery.com. Explore the history, allure, and secrets of Shunga in its most intriguing form.

Gallery and the type of art that we want to give a stage. That is why it was about ᴛι̇ɱe we sat down with the prolific Taiwanese artist and ask him about his motives, interests and influences.

SG: Was art already part of your life from an early age?

PL: Yes, I have been drawing since childhood, especially ɱaпga, mostly fight and action scenes. Drawing comics

Again, a great tip from Jeff Faerber who drew my attention to the well-drawn erotic comic strip I Roved Out in Search of Truth and Love (2018) by Alexis Flower, who is responsible for both text and artwork…

is quite popular among elementary and middle school students in Taiwan, but they are not taught, unless you are going to the specialized departments at the university.

‘How to shower with your snake‘ (May 2020)

‘Eagle‘ (May 2020)

SG: Toshio Saeki

The art of Toshio Saeki (佐伯俊雄, 1945-2019) can best be described as surreal porn (Freud’s Dream Analysis meets violent samurai). His immoral bloody and humorous world is inhabited by unfortunate tied down..

, who died earlier this year and the graphic ɱaпga artist Suehiro Maruo are important influences for you. What are specific aspects that appeal to you about their art, and is this reflected in your own art?

PL: Yes, these two Japanese artists influenced me a lot, especially Toshio Saeki. To my shame, I only discovered Saeki’s works for the first ᴛι̇ɱe when I was in college, but it instantly gave me great excitement. Unfortunately, the university and research institute only teach to become an illustrator of children’s picture books, and therefore my aspirations to become an erotic artist in the future had to be postponed. After graduating from the institute, I worked full-ᴛι̇ɱe as a child illustrator for two years. But my income was unstable, and it took a lot of ᴛι̇ɱe to make a book. Finally in 2010, I decided to give up the children’s picture books and go to work at the watch company to change my mood. Working at a watch company not only gave me a stable income, but also offered me ᴛι̇ɱe to think and breathe, and to look again at my possibilities as an artist. My erotic art also dates from this period (from 2015).

‘Bike‘ (2020)

‘Plumage‘ (2020)

SG: I assume that your are familiar with shunga. What are the aspects of shunga that appeal to you? What are the characteristics of shunga that you find special?

PL: Shunga erotic paintings are influential in Asian culture, especially in China and Japan. My artistic creation is also inspired on it. I like this art form a lot. The designs in shunga mainly show characters having sex

Betty Dodson (born 1929) was trained as a fine artist in the 1950s, and in 1968 had her first show of erotic art at the Wickersham Gallery in New York City. In the 1970s, she quitted her art career and began studying..

in a private space. I think this is in line with how people think about sex in all Asian cultures, people are curious about it but cannot express it. In my own work, I try to modify and adjust the content to be more in line with the modern concept of sex, for example: sexual and female autonomy.

‘Iceberg‘ (2020)

‘Crystal ball‘ (2020)

SG: In some paintings you depict a cross over the private parts (genitals). I assume this is a nod to censorship? Is there censorship on eroticism in Taiwan?

PL: Because the work is mainly published on Instagram, in some cases, it needs to meet the Instagram censorship system, so I put a cross on the private parts. The publishing platforms in Taiwan are more stringent. Although it is more free than other Asian countries. Sexual culture is more conservative across Asia, that is why I chose to post on Instagram.

SG: Oh I see, I incorrectly assumed the crosses were intentional.

‘High tide‘ (2017) – Censored

‘High tide‘ (2017) – Uncensored

‘Open wave (censored)‘ (2020)

‘Open wave (uncensored)‘ (2020)

SG: I love the films of your compatriot and filmmaker Tsai Ming Liang. What is your favorite movie (s)? I mean in general?

PL: I also like movies, and Tsai Ming Liang’s movies are really great !! Asian directors, My personal favorites are Ang Lee and Kore-eda Hirokazu. Their work not only captures the hearts of Asians, but also allows moviegoers in Europe and the United States to understand it. My favorite American movie is Richard Linklater’s trilogy ‘Before Sunrise‘ (1995), ‘Before Sunset‘ (2004), ‘Before Midnight‘ (2013)…very roɱaпtic !!

‘Ready to descent‘ (2019)

‘Where are my pets‘ (2019)

SG: One of our co-producers (Darya) remarked that some of your works ideologically have very much in common with European

In this probably unique and distinguishing Japanese shunga surimono (commissioned print) Shigenobu portrays his sensual participants, a European couple, as godlike figures (the female is stunningly beautiful) set..

culture, meaning plots like The Birth of Venus

This is the third ᴛι̇ɱe that the Swedish Senju Shunga (1968) pays tribute to a classic work of art. Recently he finished a melancholic rendition of John Everett Millais’ Ophelia and a couple of years ago it was..

and Daphne’s transformation. Do you recognize this?

PL: Thanks for your compliments Darya, The Birth of Venus and Daphne’s transformation are beautiful works, but in fact I am not inspired by these works. Most of my inspiration comes from “Ukiyo-e”. When it concerns European culture I have been mainly influenced by the illustrations in fairy tale books from Kinder-und Hausmarchen (KHM) * and Hans Christian Andersen.

‘Hear the Conch’s voice‘ (2019)

‘Broken angel‘ (2019)

SG: Up to now I bought three of your pieces (Thriller Novel, Blouse and Whale). Can you tell use a little about their background?

Thriller Novel

PL: I personally do not watch horror movies or read horror novels because I am scared quickly. If I accidentally see a clip, the horrible picture will stay in my mind and I can’t sleep well. Reading text is someᴛι̇ɱes more powerful than the picture. I imagine reading horror novels as if sticky tentacles are sticking out of the book. As long as you are stuck, you cannot move and cannot escape.

‘Thriller novel‘ (2020)

Blouse

PL: I like the sense of fit and formality of the shirt, especially the pictures of the buttons pulling the clothes tightly, making me feel very erotic.

‘Blouse‘ (2020)

Whale

PL: Whales are mammals. This setting alone makes my passions rise. Am I weird?

‘Whale‘ (April 2020)

SG: Are you still watchmaker by day? Or can you live from your art at this point?

PL: I have become a full-ᴛι̇ɱe artist since the end of 2018. I am very happy to support my life through the income of art. My dreams have come true.

Thanks a lot for your candor Pigo!

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