Derek Murphy is an American surrealist who moved to Taiwan 6 years ago, after studying art in Florence, Italy. His paintings stand out for their vivid colors, clean lines, and striking conceptual statements. His paintings combine religious symbolism, images from pop culture and human figures in absurd or shocking compositions, in order to draw out contradictions in social ideology or limitations in personal belief systems. His work has been featured in various publications including Xpat Magazine, Seety, the Taiwan Journal and Bunk.

德 瑞克‧墨菲 (Derek Murphy)的創作擅於玩味宗教象徵與大眾文化之意象，試圖尋求深伏於各式爭議性議題之下的光點。德瑞克作品最出色之處，是在於他處理圖像所展現之精妙 度與創新性。他的手法並非如一般的模式，即循環利用同樣的意象與主題，以便廣泛呈現一大綜合概念。德瑞克的每一作品，內容上通常沒有太大的關聯性，但風格 總有一定的機制在運作，亦有幻化不定的詭譎元素穿插於中，更有他所繪的一個個臉龐，泛現困惑與慌恐。

Biography

Derek’s childhood in Oregon gave him a love for beautiful landscapes, a liberal sense of adventure, and a rash, unmediated passion for pursuing the truth in all things. Growing up he spent his time between art and crafts projects and pushing his imagination to the limit. In 1996, Derek spent his Junior year in Argentina as a Rotary Exchange Student and attended a creative arts high school. After returning to the USA, he graduated high school with honors and a scholarship from the National Art Honor Society for creative accomplishments during his Senior year.

In 1998, with a burning thirst for global experience, exotic cultures and new faces, Derek began studying Theology, Art History and Philosophy on the Mediterranean island of Malta. His university career was prolific. In addition to graduating cum laude, Derek traveled to many parts of Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East. He also had a handful of exhibitions as he experimented with oil paintings – mostly portraits and figures. At the same time, Derek’s life long spiritual pursuits had drifted away from his Episcopalian upbringing and the Catholic Christology of his lecturers, towards a more inclusive, holistic idealism.

Determined to improve his artistic skills, Derek studied classical realism at the Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy. He also spent some time in Barcelona, soaking up the art, architecture and culture, and a year in a remote wooded area of Massachusetts, studying philosophy, comparative religion and taking extended day hikes through thick birch forests.

In 2003, he moved to Taiwan. Since then, he’s finished his Masters in Foreign Language and Literature and seen many parts of Asia. Consequently, his work often blends Western and Asian symbols from religion, pop culture or literature. It calls attention to certain complex facets of the boundaries between East and West, as they are forced somewhat incongruously together under the ambitions of globalization and the spread of Western culture.

“After the initial confusion and surprise, when the rational mind shuts down its ability to comprehend and accepts the mystery or non-meaning of the painting, a spontaneous chuckle at the ridiculousness of the figures is appropriate.”

Exhibitions

• Taipei Mayor’s Salon, Group Exhibition (Taipei Artist’s Inaugural Member’s Show), 2010
• Gallery 102 – Solo Exhibition, Tainan, Taiwan, 2009
• “Absurd Visions” – Solo Exhibition, NCKU Art Space, Tainan, Taiwan, 2009
• Chiayi International Artfest, Chiayi, Taiwan, 2007
• Lake Oswego Festival of The Arts, Oregon, 2002
• Living Enrichment Center, Wilsonville, Oregon, 2002
• Art at Bay Street, Sliema, Malta, 2001
• The Labyrinth, Valletta, Malta, 2001
• The Gallery, Tower Road, Sliema, Malta, 2000

Publications

• Bunk Anniversary Edition (2009)
• Seety Magazine (2009)
• Taiwan Journal (2007
• XPat Magazine (2007)
• The Oregonian (2005)
• Valletta Post (2001)